AN  AMERICAN  MADONNA 


§WV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRAAY.  LOS 


Raphael,    ir/iom  Iro,   irlicti  in  hix  hcst  mood,   resembled. 


AN  AMERICAN 
MADONNA 

A   STORY  OF  LOVE 
By 

MARY   IVES   TODD 


'And  tell  me  horv  Love  goelh  ? 

'that  was  not  Love  that  went.'" 


1909 

THE   BINGHAMTON   BOOK  MFG.  CO. 
NEW  YORK 


COPYRIGHT,  1908, 
BY   MARY   IVES   TODD 


To 

My  sisters,  Jennie  and  Vina; 
Loyal  wives;  devoted  mothers;  staunch 

friends; 
Queens  of  Home! 

M.  I.  T. 


2133207 


CHAPTER   I 


Of  the  true  predestined  love  alone  do  I  speak 
here.  When  Fate  sends  forth  the  woman  it 
has  chosen  for  us — sends  her  forth  from  the 
fastnesses  of  the  great  spiritual  cities  in  which 
we  live,  all  unconsciously,  and  she  awaits  us  at 
the  crossing  of  the  road  we  have  to  traverse 
when  the  hour  has  come — we  are  warned  at  the 
first  glance. 

MAURICE  MAETERLINCK. 


Jt- 


An  American  Madonna 

CHAPTER   I 

The  Niobe  of  nations !     There  she  stands 
Childless   and  crownless   in  her   voiceless  woe. 

— BYRON. 

OH,  Rome!     How  magnificent  hast 
thou   been!   .    .    .   But,   alas,   how 
cruel  I    .    .    .    Truly,      thou     hast 
richly  deserved  thy  fate! 
These  words  were  slowly  and  thoughtfully 
uttered  by  a  young  lady,  Harriet  White   by 
name,  as  her  father  and  herself  sat  on  their  fine 
but  restive  horses,  gazing  in  sadness  and  awe 
at  the  most  stupendous  and  thrilling  ruin — in 
a  world  of  ruins!     Indeed  this  ruin  repre- 
sented all  that  was  left  of  what  had  once  been 
a  wondrously  vast,  almost  inconceivably  mag- 
nificent work  of  art.    Ah,  and  to  think,  that 
notwithstanding  its  prodigious  cost  and  mar- 
velous,  gorgeous   beauty,   it  has  contributed 
more  to  the  undoing  and  degradation  of  great 


10     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

multitudes  of  people  than  any  other  building, 
past  or  present,  reared  by  man.  Since,  within 
its  walls,  vast  numbers  of  men,  women  and 
children  were  taught  to  love  idleness,  low 
pleasures,  and  reckless  cruelty.  Nay,  in  a  thou- 
sand hideous  spectacles,  they  learned  to  take 
delight  not  only  in  the  long,  protracted,  tortur- 
ing death  struggles  of  countless  dumb  crea- 
tures, but,  likewise,  of  human  beings,  male  and 
female,  Christian  and  pagan.  Prematurely 
cut  short  in  this  revolting  manner  were  the 
lives  of  some  of  the  loveliest,  bravest,  noblest 
heroes  that  ever  dared  to  descend  to  our  bloody 
globe  and  assume  mortal  robes  of  flesh.  For 
this  huge,  slowly  decaying  structure,  once  so 
truly  representative  of  Rome  in  the  height  of 
her  magnificence,  was  the  Coliseum. 

There  it  stands ;  in  the  new  Rome  of  to-day 
the  most  grand,  the  most  solemn,  the  most 
mournful,  and  the  most  impressive  object-les- 
son of  the  past. 

As  Mr.  White  and  his  daughter  finally 
turned  their  horses  about,  in  order  to  leisurely 
pursue  their  ride,  a  newspaper,  caught  by  the 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     11 

wind,  came  swirling  through  the  air,  attacking 
viciously — and  blinding  for  an  instant — Har- 
riet's fiery,  black  horse.  Quick  as  lightning 
the  horse  reared  high  in  the  air,  then  rushed 
madly  forward,  emulating  the  wind  which  had 
tossed  the  paper  into  his  flashing  eyes.  Har- 
riet tried  to  calm  the  mad  beast.  As  well  might 
she  have  endeavored  to  control  the  subtle  cur- 
rent of  air  in  its  swift  course.  To  add  to  her 
discomfiture  the  saddle  began  to  slip  to  one 
side.  In  order  to  keep  from  being  dashed  un- 
der the  animal's  flying  feet,  Harriet  was 
obliged  to  secure  a  firm  hold  of  the  horse's 
mane  with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  she 
held  on  to  one  of  the  pommels  of  the  sliding 
saddle.  As  the  beast  continued  his  flight  she 
realized  that  her  hands  were  becoming  par- 
alyzed with  their  tense  grip.  She  could  not 
hope  to  hold  on  much  longer. 

It  was  when  things  looked  their  darkest  that 
two  Italian  soldiers,  the  one  a  captain  and  the 
other  a  lieutenant,  saw  her  predicament.  These 
officers  had  but  lately  returned  from  military 
service  in  Africa,  where  they  had  met  with 


12     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

many  a  thrilling  and  hair-raising  experience, 
and  had  learned  a  trick  or  two  in  the  handling 
of  horses.  When  they  saw  the  mad  black 
beast  coming  toward  them  full  tilt,  they  imme- 
diately took  measures  to  intercept  his  danger- 
ous flight.  It  was  arranged  that  the  Lieuten- 
ant should  make  a  dash  for  the  bridle  while 
the  Captain  was  to  vault  on  the  horse's  neck 
and  give  his  windpipe  a  strangling  embrace. 

On  came  the  mad  beast.  Swift  as  thought 
the  Lieutenant  made  a  grasp  for  the  bridle, 
seized  it,  and  held  on.  The  Captain,  too,  had 
been  sucessful — had  landed  on  the  neck  of  the 
beast,  had  stuck,  and  lost  no  time  in  choking 
the  creature  without  mercy,  until  he  perforce 
stopped,  almost  ready  to  drop. 

Harriet,  having  extricated  herself  from  her 
perilous  situation,  was  quickly  joined  by  Cap- 
tain Bruno,  who  looked  anxiously  into  her 
countenance  to  see  if  she  were  going  to  faint. 
He  wished  to  be  ready  to  support  her  in  case 
of  need.  Observing  his  look  of  apprehension 
she  smiled  reassuringly,  and  for  an  instant  her 
beautiful  eyes  looked  straight  into  his  dark, 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     13 

handsome  ones.  Like  an  electric  current,  the 
glance  seemed  to  penetrate  every  fiber  of  his 
being,  and  to  set  them  vibrating  in  an  exquisite 
manner.  It  was  all  he  could  do  to  keep  from 
dropping  on  his  knees  and  adoring  her,  as  if 
she  were  indeed  a  Madonna  straight  from 
heaven.  Ah,  but  she  had  stopped  smiling  and 
had  begun  to  speak  to  him  in  the  most  musical 
of  tones — so  deep,  so  tender,  so  true !  He  must 
perforce  wake  from  his  dream  of  bliss  and  lis- 
ten. It  was  not  often  that  Harriet's  speaking 
voice  was  quite  the  musical  instrument  that 
was  now  uttering  simple,  commonplace  words. 
Though  she  looked  calm  and  was  unshaken  in 
deportment,  yet  the  great  peril  she  had  been 
in  had  affected  her  tones  and  made  them  un- 
usually clear,  sweet,  penetrating. 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  she  said.  Then,  as  Lieu- 
tenant Mayer  stepped  up,  holding  the  bridle 
of  the  panting  horse,  she  remarked  gayly, 
"  Ah,  gentlemen,  I  am  so  happy  to  meet  you  I 
To  be  able  to  witness  your  gallant  exploit  is 
well  worth  my  hazardous  ride." 

As  Harriet  finished  speaking  she  held  out 


14     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

her  firm,  ungloved  hand,  first  to  the  Captain, 
then  to  the  Lieutenant.  This  handshaking  on 
Harriet's  part  was  of  that  frank,  close,  tender 
character  which  expressed  more  truly  the  debt 
of  gratitude  she  owed  than  any  words  could 
have  done.  Besides,  she  gave  the  Captain  an- 
other straight  glance  as  she  did  so,  which,  com- 
ing so  close  as  it  did  on  the  heels  of  the  other, 
made  him  wildly  desire  to  prostrate  himself 
at  her  feet. 

However,  sanity  quickly  returned  to  the 
Captain's  brain,  when  he  observed  two  men 
riding  swiftly  up  to  where  they  stood.  They 
were  Mr.  White  and  his  guide.  The  face  of 
the  former  was  pallid  with  fear;  a  cold  sweat 
stood  in  drops  on  his  capacious  forehead,  while 
his  breathing  was  labored. 

Harriet  immediately  helped  her  father  to 
dismount,  then  took  his  hand  sympathetically 
in  hers  as  she  said,  "  You  see,  dear  father,  that 
I  am  not  in  the  least  hurt.  But  I  am  so  sorry 
that  you  should  have  had  such  a  fright."  Turn- 
ing to  the  two  men  by  her  side  she  exclaimed, 
"  These  are  the  two  gallant  gentlemen  who 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     15 

have  saved  my  life  just  as  my  hands  were  go- 
ing back  on  me." 

By  this  time  Mr.  White  had  got  the  use  of 
his  tongue,  though  he  spoke  with  difficulty. 
"  Gentlemen,  I  beg  of  you  to  call  upon  me  at 
your  earliest  leisure,  and  give  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  relieve  my  heart  of  its  burden  of 
gratitude." 

"  Altro!  It  is  we  who  should  be  grateful — 
for  the  privilege  of  being  able  to  serve  so  brave 
and  tenacious  a  young  lady  as  your  daughter 
has  proved  herself  to  be.  But,  since  it  is  your 
wish  that  we  call  upon  you,  we  shall  do  so — 
more  particularly  as  we  shall  desire  to  learn  if 
neither  your  daughter  nor  yourself  experience 
any  deleterious  after-effects." 

'Yes,  indeed!"  added  Lieutenant  Mayer, 
"  we  shall  be  eager  to  learn  if  you  remain  well, 
and  the  lady  proves  none  the  worse  for  her 
thrilling  and  hazardous  ride.  She  showed 
great  pluck  and  has  the  qualities  for  the  mak- 
ing of  a  great  soldier." 

Hearing  so  generous  a  compliment  from 
one  who  knew  what  he  was  talking  about,  Har- 


16     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

riet  felt  it  incumbent  upon  herself  to  make  the 
Lieutenant  a  profound  obeisance,  whereupon 
all  laughed  gayly,  except  Mr.  White,  who  was 
still  breathing  with  difficulty.  Observing  this, 
the  guide  said,  "  Signor  White,  shall  I  get  a 
cab?" 

Mr.  White  bowed,  and  the  guide  rode  away. 
While  this  arrangement  was  being  made  the 
Captain  and  Harriet  were  gazing  anew  into 
each  other's  eyes — the  one  pair  so  dark  and 
thrilling,  the  other  so  luminous  and  beautiful. 
But  little  attention  was  being  paid  by  these 
two  to  the  Lieutenant,  who  addressed  himself 
more  particularly  to  Mr.  White.  By  the  time 
the  guide  reappeared,  accompanied  by  a  fierce- 
looking  but  hustling  Jehu  with  a  rather  rusty 
vehicle  and  an  inferior-looking  little  horse, 
Harriet  had  convinced  herself  that  the  Cap- 
tain was  the  handsomest  man  she  had  ever 
seen.  A  little  later  on  she  was  to  discover  that 
he  was  likewise  the  easiest  man  to  fall  desper- 
ately in  love  with,  and  the  hardest  to  forget. 


CHAPTER   II 


DIGNITY  OF  TRADE 

Men  must  eat,  they  must  be  clothed,  they 
must  be  housed.  It  is  quite  as  necessary  that 
you  should  eat  good  food  as  that  you  should 
read  good  books,  listen  to  good  music,  hear  good 
sermons,  and  look  upon  beautiful  pictures. 

That  is  sacred  rvhich  serves.  There  are  no 
menial  tasks.  "  He  that  is  greatest  among  you 
shall  be  your  servant."  The  physical  reacts 
on  the  spiritual  and  the  spiritual  on  the  physi- 
cal, and,  rightly  understood,  they  are  one  and 
the  same  thing.  We  live  in  a  world  of  spirit 
and  our  bodies  are  the  physical  manifestation 
of  a  spiritual  thing. 

We  change  men  by  changing  their  environ- 
ment. Commerce  changes  environment  and 
gives  us  a  better  society.  To  supply  water, 
better  sanitary  appliances,  better  heating  ap- 
paratus, better  food  served  in  a  more  dainty 
way — these  are  tasks  worthy  of  the  highest 
intelligence  and  devotion  that  can  be  brought 
to  bear  upon  them. 

We  have  ceased  to  separate  the  secular  from 
the  sacred.  The  way  to  help  yourself  is  to  help 
humanity.  The  way  to  cheat  humanity  is  to 
cheat  yourself.  We  benefit  ourselves  only  as  we 
benefit  others. 

ELBERT  HUBBARD. 


CHAPTER  II 

ON  the  following  evening,  but  one  of 
the  two  gentlemen  instrumental  in 
extricating  Harriet  White  from  a 
situation  fraught  with  peril,  called 
upon  father  and  daughter.  It  was  Lieutenant 
Mayer,  sturdy  of  build,  swarthy  as  to  com- 
plexion, with  hair  like  a  raven's  wing  and  eyes 
to  match  in  color,  who,  after  a  few  pleasant 
words  by  way  of  greeting,  said  very  earnestly : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  inform  you  that  my  com- 
rade is  confined  to  his  room  with  illness.  In- 
deed he  is  a  dangerously  sick  man,  with  a  rag- 
ing fever,  and  is  occasionally  delirious." 

"  How  very  sad!  "  murmured  Harriet,  while 
her  countenance  suddenly  paled  with  appre- 
hension. '  Why,  how  comes  it  that  he  should 
be  so  ill,  and  so  suddenly?  He  looked  the  pic- 
ture of  manly  beauty  and  health  last  evening, 
when  we  bade  him  adieu." 

"  It  was  excitement  that  g^Ve  him  a  false 

19 


20     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

appearance  of  ruddy  health.  The  truth  is,  he 
has  been  for  some  time  slowly  convalescing 
after  a  very  serious  surgical  operation." 

"  Indeed! "  Harriet  spoke  but  one  word  by 
way  of  reply,  her  mind  being  full  of  eager 
wonderment  as  to  what  had  given  occasion  for 
the  dreaded  knife  of  the  surgeon.  She  did  not 
dare,  however,  to  ask.  Presently  the  Lieuten- 
ant gratified  her  curiosity  by  relating  Captain 
Bruno's  last  gallant  exploit  in  Africa,  where, 
with  his  company,  he  had  suddenly  turned  de- 
feat into  victory,  thus  saving  the  prestige  of 
the  white  troops  engaged,  as  well  as  the  lives 
of  a  group  of  Italian  soldiers.  But  the  Cap- 
tain himself  had  been  carried  from  the  field 
wounded  so  frightfully  that  it  was  thought  he 
would  never  live  to  see  his  native  land  again. 
Nevertheless,  when  the  hospital  steamer  ar- 
rived in  Rome  he  was  still  breathing,  and,  after 
a  very  skilful  operation,  gradually  grew 
stronger.  Had  he  been  in  his  usual  health 
yesterday's  trifling  experience  with  the  run- 
away horse  would  not  have  imperiled  his  health 
in  the  least.  Under  the  circumstances,  with  a 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     21 

wound  superficially  healed,  he  might  find  it 
hard  to  recover  lost  ground. 

For  a  moment  both  Harriet  and  her  father 
remained  silent.  They  were  deeply  affected 
by  what  they  had  heard.  Could  it  be  possible 
that  yesterday's  accident  was,  after  all,  to  cost 
thejife  of  a  human  being?  "  And  that  human 
being  so  handsome,  so  easy  to  love,"  sighed 
Harriet  to  herself.  As  for  Mr.  White,  he 
was  thinking,  "  Thank  God,  that  it  did  not 
cost  the_Jife,of  my  precious  and  only  child! 
But  it  is  a  bad  business,  as  it  is.  I  wonder  wrhat 
we  ought  to  do  under  the  circumstances?" 

The  Lieutenant,  seeing  both  father  and 
daughter  absorbed  in  sad  reflections,  continued 
speaking,  facing  Harriet  at  the  same  time. 

"  I  wish  you  could  find  it  in  your  heart  to 
return  with  me,  at  least  for  a  short  call  upon 
my  poor  friend.  Your  presence  at  his  bedside 
now  might  give  him  a  new  chance  for  his  life. 
Ah,  but  you  should  hear  him  beg  me  in  the 
most  beseeching  manner  to  bring  to  him 
'Raphael's  American  Madonna'!  Something 
in  your  countenance  yesterday  caused  my 


22     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

friend  to  believe  that  he  saw  in  your  face  a 
strong  resemblance  to  the  Madonnas  of  our 
greatest  Madonna  painter,  Raphael.  So,  to- 
day, whenever  he  is  partially  delirious  he  de- 
mands, '  Comrade,  bring  Raphael's  American 
Madonna  1  Don't  forget !  It  is  the  American 
one  I  want.  Make  no  mistake!  Hurry  up! 
Be  off  with  you ! '  When  I  would  bow  in 
meek  response,  hesitating  a  little  what  to  do, 
he  would  rise  up  in  bed,  with  cheeks  red  as 
poppies,  frantically  urging  me  to  '  Go!  go! 
go !  *  Of  course  I  would  have  to  disappear 
a  while.  Then,  when  I  would  return,  he  would 
give  me  the  same  orders  over  again.  At  last 
he  got  so  irritated  at  hearing  me  explain  that 
you  would  come  as  soon  as  a  cab  could  bring 
you — that  you  were  on  the  way — and  so  on — 
any  old  thing  I  could  think  of  to  quiet  him, 
that  he  began  to  throw  things  at  me. 
Finally  I  hit  upon  an  expedient  which  I  hoped 
would  work  like  a  charm.  I  had  our  most 
beautiful  nurse,  about  your  height  and  form, 
put  on  her  street  clothes  with  a  hat  much  like 
yours — also  a  veil,  contributed  by  another 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     23 

nurse.  Now,  I  thought,  I'm  all  right.  He 
will  never  know  the  difference,  with  his  brain 
in  a  dizzy  whirl.  Would  you  believe  it?  No 
sooner  did  he  glance  into  her  eyes  than  the 
poor  sick  Captain  turned  his  back  on  us,  and 
buried  his  head  in  a  pillow.  We  were  obliged 
to  silently  retreat,  quite  discouraged.  You 
see,  Signer  White,  I  was  actually  compelled  to 
come  for  your  daughter." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  understand,"  commented  Har- 
riet's father.  But  he  added  nothing  further, 
and  when  the  situation  was  becoming  a  little 
painful,  the  Lieutenant  suddenly  laughed, 
then  explained:  "  Really,  we  have  had  a  good 
deal  of  amusement  at  the  Captain's  expense. 
Our  young  doctor — a  raw  substitute — the 
other  one  being  still  off  on  his  vacation — of  a 
humorous  turn — declared  that  the  Captain,  ill 
as  he  was,  had  discovered  what  Italians,  or, 
indeed,  all  Europeans  had  failed  to  find 
among  Americans;  that  is,  a  woman  of  the 
madonna  type.  He  further  declared  that 
'  America  breeds  clever  women,  handsome 
women,  intellectual  women,  brave,  independ- 


24     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

ent  women;  but,  madonna  women!  Dio  mio, 
never  I*  After  that,  whenever  we  would  hear 
the  Captain  pleading  that  Raphael's  Amer- 
ican Madonna  be  brought  to  his  bedside,  we 
would  laugh  in  spite  of  our  anxiety  about  his 
health." 

Harriet  understood  perfectly  her  father's 
reluctance  to  have  her  meet  again  the  hand- 
some captain.  His  clear  mind  saw  danger 
ahead,  and  whenever  in  the  past  anything 
seemed  to  menace  his  plans  in  respect  to  Har- 
riet, he  had  said  to  himself,  "  This  must  be 
nipped  1 "  Hitherto  success  had  crowned  his 
efforts  in  removing  every  impediment  which 
threatened  to  affect  seriously  the  career  for 
which  he  had  zealously  trained  his  Harriet  for 
two  whole  decades,  ever  since  she  was  a  little 
maid  of  five;  ever  since  he  had  divined  that 
Dame  Nature  had  placed  within  her  head  a 
brain  of  the  same  far-seeing,  exact,  compre- 
hensive, and  subtle  business  fiber  as  his  own. 

True,  Dame  Nature  had  acted  with  her 
usual  idiotic  blindness  in  respect  to  conse- 
fluences,  since,  having  given  wee  Harriet  her 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     25 

father's  capacious  brain,  she  had  placed  in  her 
bosom  her  Italian  mother's  madonna  heart; 
and,  as  if  this  were  not  enough  to  handicap  her 
seriously  for  success  as  a  competitor  in  Amer- 
ican business  enterprise,  she  had  recklessly 
endowed  her  with  the  most  ardent  Italian  love 
for  art  in  its  manifold  phases.  The  result  be- 
ing that  poor  Mr.  White  was  continually  kept 
busy  "  nipping "  some  new  conflicting  devel- 
opment in  Harriet's  manifold  nature.  The 
first  had  to  do  with  her  growing  attachment 
for  her  dolls.  They  having  multiplied  to  seven 
before  Harriet  herself  was  seven,  and  her  care 
of  them  becoming  a  passion,  Mr.  White  said 
one  day,  "  These  dolls  consume  too  much  of 
your  time.  Put  them  away.  You  are  now  too 
big  to  play  with  such  senseless  things." 

"  Oh,  but  I  love  them  so,"  was  the  little 
mother's  reply  as  she  sorrowfully  obeyed. 

But  the  most  trying  nipping  experience  of 
all  for  Harriet  had  been  when  her  father  paid 
and  discharged  her  Italian  singing  teacher, 
remarking,  "  I  do  not  wish  my  daughter  to 
perfect  herself  farther  in  the  vocal  art.  How 


26     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

are  your  wife  and  children  in  Italy?"  The 
man  replied  with  embarrassment  and  de- 
parted. Harriet  never  saw  him  again.  Her 
father  had  perceived  that  his  daughter,  des- 
tined for  a  high  and  commanding  place  in  the 
business  world,  was  rapidly  developing  an 
uncontrollable  love  for  music.  Her  lovely, 
mezzo-soprano  voice,  with  excellent  training, 
bid  fair  to  rival  that  of  the  great  Malibran. 
Also  Mr.  White  perceived  that  Harriet  was 
falling  in  love  with  her  teacher,  a  highly 
trained  Italian  maestro  and  an  agreeable  gen- 
tleman, who,  for  some  reason — best  known  to 
himself — never  hinted  to  his  devoted  pupil 
that  he  possessed  such  inconvenient  things  as 
wife  and  children,  dependent  upon  him  for 
support.  Hence  in  this  instance  two  loves 
were  "nipped." 

But  everything  and  everybody  that  prom- 
ised danger  farther  on,  had  been  just  as 
promptly  and  successfully  nipped.  Was  he  to 
be  checkmated  now  that  he  was  old  and  be- 
coming feeble,  and  had  his  Harriet  perfectly 
trained  to  step  into  his  business  shoes?  In- 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     27 

deed,  she  already  was  in  them — he  merely  act- 
ing as  adviser,  doing  little  of  the  real  drudg- 
ery. His  success  in  playing  the  part  of  both 
mother  and  father  to  his  only  child,  and 
molding  her  in  the  form  desired,  had  been 
"  simply  marvelous,"  everyone  said.  How- 
ever, here  was  a  new  occasion  for  his  "  nip- 
ping "  process.  To  permit  Harriet,  with  her 
ardent  Italian  heart,  to  fall  seriously  in  love 
now,  meant,  he  feared,  ruin  to  his  hopes.  Yet, 
what  to  do?  While  he  was  vainly  conjuring 
some  way  out  of  the  difficulty  that  should  not 
appear  too  heartless,  Harriet  spoke: 

"  Dear  father,  surely  you  can  trust  me.  Let 
us  go  at  once,  before  it  is  too  late.  Come,  I 
will  get  our  hats  and  gloves,  and  we  will  be 
off." 

Mr.  White  reluctantly  consented,  wishing 
for  once  that  Harriet  were  not  the  picture  of 
perfect  health,  or  that  he  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  retire  early  on  this  fateful  evening 
— ill.  Under  the  circumstances  he  must  per- 
force go  with  Harriet  to  the  bedside  of  the 
most  handsome  man  he  had  ever  set  his  eyes 


28     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

upon — a  type  of  beauty  that  recalled  old 
Venice  when  her  ruddiest,  strongest,  bravest, 
handsomest  brood  of  virile  citizens  were  on 
her  stage  playing  their  parts,  to  the  admi- 
ration of  the  world. 

The  ride  in  the  cab  was  quickly  made,  the 
horse  being  driven  at  a  swift  gallop  and  the 
distance  not  great.  They  found  the  Captain's 
nurse  playing  hide  and  seek  with  her  patient 
from  behind  a  partly  opened  door.  She  had 
been  driven  out  by  the  Captain,  whom  they 
could  see  through  the  crevice  wildly  tossing 
his  arms  about  as  if  trying  to  drive  something 
away  that  menaced  his  peace  of  mind.  His 
aspect,  though  frenzied,  was  picturesque.  His 
curling,  dusky-gold,  luxuriant  hair,  grown 
longer  than  usual,  formed  a  magnificent  bur- 
nished background  for  his  Raphael  face  with 
its  perfect  eyebrows  and  expressive  dark  eyes. 
True,  his  glance  was  glowering  now,  and  quite 
unlike  in  expression  to  that  of  the  ever  calm 
and  beautiful  countenance  of  the  world's 
greatest  painter. 

While  the  Lieutenant  hesitated  what  to  do 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     29 

with  Mr.  White  and  his  daughter,  now  that 
he  had  brought  them  to  the  very  door  of  his 
sick  comrade's  room,  Harriet  herself  quickly 
crossed  the  threshold  and  soon  had  secured 
both  the  Captain's  hot  hands  in  her  cool, 
strong  palms.  Next  for  a  moment  she  held 
his  glance  firmly  with  her  own.  Doubtless  a 
person  with  keener  eyes  than  our  ordinary 
ones  could  have  seen  Harriet's  eyes  sending  a 
stream  of  tender,  healing  love  straight  into 
that  other  pair,  now,  alas,  so  full  of  pain  and 
bewilderment. 

Presently  she  laid  his  hands  down  that  she 
might  place  one  of  her  own  at  the  base  of  his 
brain,  while  with  the  other  she  skillfully  mas- 
saged his  hot  forehead.  Thus  had  she  often 
relieved  her  father  when  his  head  was  hot  and 
throbbing  with  pain.  She  hoped  to  have  the 
same  success  with  Captain  Ivo  Bruno.  While 
she  was  busy  exercising  her  powers  of  healing 
on  a  new  patient,  her  father  had  permitted 
the  Lieutenant  to  seat  him  just  inside  the  door. 
As  for  the  Captain's  comrade,  he  stood  where 
he  could  watch  Raphael's  American  Madonna 


ply  her  madonna  gifts.  He  smiled  broadly 
when  the  beneficial  effects  of  her  treatment 
became  apparent  and  her  patient's  regular 
breathing  proclaimed  that  he  was  fast  asleep. 
At  once  he  came  forward,  and,  warmly  shak- 
ing her  hand,  said  in  a  low  voice,  "Brava! 
You  are  the  right  sort  of  a  magician." 

"  No,  not  a  magician;  but  I  believe  I  am  en- 
dowed with  some  healing  power.  However, 
Lieutenant  Mayer,  your  comrade  is  a  very 
sick  man.  He  should  have  a  skilful  doctor 
immediately.  Pray,  let  us  send  for  my  father's 
physician.  He  is  very  clever." 

"  By  all  means  I  Because,  if  there  is  any 
danger  of  blood  poisoning  setting  in,  the  more 
promptly  such  indications  are  skillfully  dealt 
with,  the  better!" 

Harriet  now  turned  to  her  father,  saying, 
"  We  will  go  for  him  right  away,  shall  we  not, 
dear  father? " 

"  Yes,  indeed! "  responded  Mr.  White  with 
alacrity.  He  was  only  too  glad  to  get  his 
daughter  away  from  that  handsome  fellow's 
bedside.  He  sincerely  hoped  that  the  next 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     31 

day  would  find  the  Captain  so  much  improved 
that  they  could  proceed  at  once  to  New  York, 
for  they  had  already  overstayed  their  vacation 
by  three  days,  and  all  because  Harriet  had 
wished  to  give  Rome  a  hurried  visit  when  she 
could  view  once  more  the  majestic,  awe-in- 
spiring Coliseum  by  moonlight:  a  fearful,  a 
haunting,  but  always  a  glorious  spectacle  I 


CHAPTER   III 


Raphael's      St. Barbara,'*   whom   Harriet  resembled. 


CHAPTER   III 

QOTWITHSTANDING  the  fact 
that  the  best  of  medical  skill,  sup- 
plemented with  exquisitely  tender 
and  intelligent  nursing,  promptly 
took  Captain  Ivo  in  hand,  a  fortnight  tedi- 
ously and  anxiously  passed  ere  that  young 
man  gave  promise  of  being  able  "to  pull 
through  " ;  for  his  vital  forces  were  at  a  low 
ebb  when  this  new  demand  was  made  upon 
them,  and  nature  must,  sorely  handicapped,  do 
her  healing  work  over  again.  In  the  mean- 
time Captain  Ivo  had  become  so  attached  to 
"  Raphael's  American  Madonna  "  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  he  could  be  persuaded  to  part 
with  her  long  enough  for  her  to  obtain  neces- 
sary sleep.  As  for  her  meals,  she  was  for  a 
long  time  obliged  to  take  them  with  her 
patient,  he  obstinately  refusing  to  eat  any- 
thing unless  she  shared  it  with  him. 

When  the  Captain  began  really  to  mend, 

35 


he  quickly  turned  their  dainty  repasts  into  lit- 
tle comedies,  he  himself  playing  the  part  of 
star  performer.  Often  would  he  pretend  that 
he  was  too  weak  to  feed  himself.  Harriet 
would  humor  him  by  giving  him  his  food  with 
smiling  grace  and  madonna  tenderness.  This 
gave  him  his  coveted  opportunity  to  intercept 
and  kiss  her  hands  as  often  as  he  liked;  and  he 
liked  not  seldom.  Occasionally  he  would  bite 
instead  of  kiss  the  hand  that  was  feeding  him. 
Feigning  contrition,  he  would  beg  her  to  kiss 
and  make  up.  In  this  way  he  secured  a  lot  of 
kisses  while  he  was  still  in  more  or  less  dan- 
ger of  a  fatal  relapse;  sweet  madonna  kisses 
which  he  never  forgot  as  long  as  he  lived.  As 
he  got  stronger,  and  it  became  correspond- 
ingly difficult  to  obtain  a  kiss  on  his  lips  from 
those  of  "  Raphael's  American  Madonna,"  he 
made  the  ones  he  did  get  last  as  long  as  possi- 
ble by  clutching  her  hair  with  both  hands  and 
holding  her  face  close  to  his  until  she  either 
screamed  or  managed  to  get  hold  of  his  hair, 
when,  sometimes,  he  found  her  a  not  unequal 
competitor  in  hair-pulling. 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     37 

Often,  however,  the  two  chatted  in  a  serious 
manner,  Captain  Ivo  finding  it  delightful  to 
pour  into  Harriet's  sympathetic  ear  his  past 
life  with  its  intermingled  joys  and  sorrows, 
successes  and  failures,  loves  and  aversions, 
hopes  and  aspirations.  He  told  her  how  his 
mother  had  secretly  abetted  him  at  every  op- 
portunity to  become  an  artist.  How  his 
father,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  determined 
that  he  should  win  military  laurels  as  he  him- 
self had  done  with  Garibaldi;  and  how,  to 
bring  to  pass  this  desired  end,  he  had  been 
obliged  to  pass  through  a  certain  military 
academy,  and  next  to  accept  a  position  in  the 
army,  to  his  infinite  disgust. 

"  But  it  appears  from  what  Lieutenant 
Mayer  tells  me,  that  you  proved  yourself  a 
gallant  and  splendid  soldier." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  a  coward,"  said  Ivo,  "  but 
now  that  my  father  is  dead,  I  shall  lose  no  time 
in  dedicating  myself  to  that  art  made  so  divine 
a  thing  by  Raphael." 

At  this  point,  Harriet  exclaimed,  "  Bravo! " 
very  energetically  for  so  calm  a  person.  Then 


38     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

half  closing  her  eyes,  she  repeated  dreamily 
from  Hawthorne's  "  Twice  Told  Tales  ": 

"  Oh,  glorious  art!  Thou  art  the  image  of 
the  Creator's  own.  The  innumerable  forms 
that  wander  in  nothingness  start  into  being  at 
thy  beck.  The  dead  live  again.  Thou  recall- 
est  them  to  their  old  scenes,  and  givest  their 
gray  shadows  the  luster  of  a  better  life,  at  once 
earthly  and  immortal.  Thou  snatchest  back 
the  fleeting  moments  of  history.  With  thee 
there  is  no  past;  for  at  thy  touch,  all  that  is 
great  becomes  forever  present;  and  illustrious 
men  live  through  long  ages,  in  the  visible  per- 
formance of  the  very  deeds  which  made  them 
what  they  are.  Oh,  potent  Art." 

"  It  is  my  turn  to  cry  '  Brava ! '  "  said  Ivo, 
quite  beside  himself  with  joy.  "  Now  that 
we  discover  that  we  are  of  one  mind,  children 
of  Art,  come  to  my  arms,  and  let  us  embrace 

like "  He  started  to  say,  "like  brother 

and  sister,"  when  it  occurred  to  him  that  an 
embrace  of  that  character  would  not  suit  him 
at  all. 

In  the  meantime  Harriet  guessed  his  pre- 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     39 

dicament,  and,  fearing  that  he  might  declare 
his  love  in  a  manner  she  would  find  hard  to 
repel,  she  at  once  rose,  saying: 

"  Do  you  know  I  am  neglecting  my  poor 
father  for  you?  Every  day  sees  him  more 
feeble,  while  each  new  day  finds  you  making 
prodigious  leaps  back  to  health  and  strength. 
I  must  leave  you  with  the  Lieutenant  and  re- 
turn to  him." 

These  words  punctured  Ivo's  bubble  of 
happiness.  He  lay  back  on  his  pillow,  look- 
ing pale  and  bloodless.  Next  he  sighed  and 
closed  his  eyes,  wondering  if  Harriet  really 
would  go  and  leave  him  half -fainting  with 
fear — for  he  divined  that  her  next  move  would 
be  to  tell  him  she  must  return  to  America  with 
her  father,  now  that  he  was  out  of  danger. 
The  thought  of  her  going  far,  far  away,  was 
too  much  for  his  self-control  in  his  present 
weak  state  of  health.  The  tears  would  come 
— would  roll  in  big  drops  over  his  pale,  thin 
cheeks.  Being  ashamed  to  cry  "like  a 
woman,"  he  turned  his  back  to  Harriet,  who 
now  stood  by  his  bedside  in  hat  and  wrap 


40     AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

ready  to  depart.  She  could  not  leave  him 
thus,  for  it  took  so  little  to  retard  his  re- 
covery. 

"  Come,"  she  said,  "  turn  over  that  hand- 
some, shining  head  of  yours,  and  let  us  kiss 
and  make  up."  This  offer  was  so  tempting 
that  the  Captain  lost  no  time  in  obeying.  As 
he  did  so,  he  remarked,  "  It's  an  age  since  I've 
had  one." 

"  It's  an  hour,"  interposed  Harriet. 

"  And  I  mean  to  make  the  most  of  my  di- 
minishing opportunities,"  replied  Ivo,  pretend- 
ing not  to  hear  Harriet's  interpolation.  So 
when  her  face  came  close  to  his  he  grasped  her 
hair  and  held  on  viciously,  while  he  covered 
her  eyes,  cheeks,  nose  and  lips  with  ardent 
kisses.  Indeed  he  did  not  let  up  until  a  fiercer 
hair-pulling  bout  than  usual  had  left  him 
panting — but  happy  once  more. 

"  Sit  down!  "  he  urged.  "  I  have  something 
very  important  to  say  to  you." 

"Oh,  it  will  keep,"  replied  Harriet.  "I 
really  must  return  to  my  dear  father.  His 
health  is  very  precarious.  He  has  missed  me 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     41 

fearfully  since  you  .have  been  so  ill  and  re- 
quired so  much  of  my  attention;  and  his  health 
has  declined  until  he  is  quite  irritable  and  im- 
patient. Immense  business  affairs  also  claim 
his  attention — make  him  feel  that  we  should 
be  turning  our  faces  homeward.  I  shall  sim- 
ply run  away  this  time."  And,  suiting  the 
action  tp  the  word,  Harriet  disappeared  be- 
fore Ivo  could  utter  another  syllable,  or  even 
groan. 

Harriet  found  her  father  in  the  apartments 
they  had  taken,  close  to  the  hospital,  looking 
unusually  feeble  and  ill.  He  was  lying  on  the 
sofa  and  did  not  attempt  to  rise  to  a  sitting 
posture  when  she  came  in.  At  once  she  re- 
lieved herself  of  her  wraps,  then  took  his  head 
in  her  two  strong,  magnetic  palms,  placing 
one  at  the  base  of  his  brain,  while  with  the 
other  she  skillfully  massaged  his  forehead. 
When  he  began  to  look  more  cheerful,  and  a 
slight  glow  appeared  in  his  cheeks,  she  re- 
marked soothingly: 

"  The  Captain  is  so  much  better  that  I  think 
we  can  be  off  to-morrow  for  our  dear  Amer- 


42     AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

ica.  Thank  God!  Have  you  decided  about 
the  sum  to  deposit  in  the  bank  for  each  of 
the  two  men  who,  without  a  thought  of  what 
it  might  cost  them,  so  gallantly  saved  my 
life?" 

"  I  have  already  attended  to  that  matter. 
When  we  are  on  the  ocean,  they  will  learn  that 
they  have  each  to  their  credit  $50,000." 

"A  generous  living  for  each,  in  Italy — 
provided  they  invest  it  well." 

"  What  they  do  with  it  is  their  business,  of 
course.  They  are,  however,  deserving  men; 
have  served  their  country  in  a  gallant  and  dis- 
tinguished manner — as  well  as  my  dear  daugh- 
ter andj£  Lieutenant  Mayer  has  a  big  fam- 
ily of  children  to  support,  besides  a  weakly 
wife  and  a  feeble  mother.  He  can  now  afford 
to  educate  his  children,  instead  of  turning 
them  prematurely  into  bread-winners.  As  for 
Captain  Bruno,  the  doctor  informs  me  that 
he  may  never  be  a  strong  man  again;  that  he 
cannot  hope  to  re-enter  military  life." 

"  I  do  hope  they  will  accept  the  sums  you 
have  placed  at  their  disposal."  Harriet  felt 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     43 

almost  sure  that  Ivo  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  his. 

"  They  will  feel  obliged  to  accept  them 
after  they  have  read  the  letter  which  is  to  be 
delivered  to  them  when  too  late  to  refuse — a 
small  gift,  considering  the  service  rendered. 
In  the  letter  I  have  told  them  the  burden  of 
gratitude  their  noble  act  has  placed  on  my  life. 
I  have  explained  that  it  would  be  cruel  to  me 
in  my  present  state  of  health  to  refuse  me." 

"  Ah,  I  am  very  glad  that  you  have  made 
it  impossible  for  two  deserving  men  to  be  un- 
just to  themselves.  Dear  father,  never  did 
I  admire  you  more  or  love  you  so  well  as  now. 
You  are  a  truly  great  man — one  who  does  the 
right,  beneficent  thing  at  the  right  time,  and 
in  the  right  way." 

Harriet  captured  one  of  her  father's  hands, 
softly  caressed  it,  and,  before  giving  it  up  to 
its  owner,  covered  it  with  kisses  from  the 
sweetest  of  lips — rosy,  beautifully  formed, 
healthy,  full  of  vitality! 

Apprehensive  tears  filled  the  eyes  of  Mr. 
White  as  he  slowly,  reluctantly  answered, 


44     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  Dear  Harriet,  I  could  not  live  without  you. 
You  have  been  all  in  all  to  me  ever  since,  as  a 
babe,  you  would  cling  so  tenaciously  to  my 
forefinger,  or,  indeed,  any  finger  you  got  hold 
of." 

Harriet  smiled  as  she  said,  "  You  will  find 
me  clinging  to  you  with  the  same  tenacious 
grip,  as  long  as  we  live.  Nobody  shall  be 
permitted  to  separate  us — should  such  an 
atrociously  selfish  thought  enter  the  head  of 
anyone." 

"  Thank  you.  My  heart  is  greatly  relieved. 
I  have  feared  that  you  might  fall  in  love  with 
another  handsome  Italian,  you  yourself  being 
half  Italian;  but,  thank  God!  you  have  your 
father's  brains." 

A  look  of  proud  joy  took  possession  of  Mr. 
White's  countenance  and  made  him  appear  a 
different  man. 

"  Everyone  tells  me  I  am  '  a  chip  of  the 
old  block,'  father.  But  I  owe  not  only  my 
brains  to  you,  but  all  that  I  am,  or  ever  hope 
to  be,  for  you  have  been  both  a  tender  mother 
to  me,  and  a  wise,  thoughtful  father." 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     45 

"  I  have  done  my  best  to  rear  you  right.  I 
have  read,  aye,  studied  a  thousand  books  and 
spent  countless  hours  trying  to  solve  the  prob- 
lem how  to  train  and  educate  my  little  Harriet 
so  that  she  could  play  a  really  useful  and  great 
part  in  life,  and  I  think  I  am  but  speaking  the 
truth  when  I  affirm  that  there  are  few  women 
— perhaps  none — who  are  to-day  your  match 
in  the  possession  of  great  stores  of  well- 
digested,  practical  knowledge.  As  for  your 
grasp  of  business  details,  affairs,  and  compli- 
cations, few  men  are  your  superior,  young  as 
you  are." 

!<  That  conies  of  your  pruning  away 
promptly  everything  that  tended  to  distract 
my  attention  and  fritter  away  my  precious 
time.  Alas,  who  can  estimate  the  hours  lost 
by  the  young  in  undue  attention  to  trifles  light 
as  air!  In  the  mere  matter  of  the  arrange- 
ment of  my  hair,  what  a  lot  of  time  you  have 
saved  me  by  insisting  that  I  do  it  simply — and 
then  forget  it.  Ah,  yes,  if  I  ever  do  anything 
worth  while,  I  shall  give  you  the  credit."  Har- 
riet embraced  her  father  anew  with  glowing 


46    AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

eyes.  He  felt  reassured.  No  one  was  to  come 
between  them.  No  one  was  to  recklessly  undo 
what  he  had  been  a  lifetime  laboriously  build- 
ing and  storing;  that  is,  a  brain  capable  of 
handling  immense  business  interests,  which 
had  been  slowly  and  toilfully  developed  by 
many  years  of  prodigious  toil — business  inter- 
ests on  the  success  of  which  thousands  de- 
pended. 

Mr.  White  was  not  unlike  John  D.  Rocke- 
feller in  build,  with  the  same  large  bald  pate, 
keen,  well-set  gray  eyes  in  rather  deep  sockets, 
a  shorter  upper  lip,  a  less  sanctimonious  ex- 
pression, a  little  less  genius  for  business,  and 
a  little  more  conscience.  In  religion  he  was  a 
commonsense  man  of  the  Thomas  Paine  or- 
der; preserving  a  deep  and  profound  faith  in 
a  God  who  obviously  knew  more  than  he  did, 
and  who  was  gradually,  but  unmistakably,  as- 
sisting all  creation  to  progress  Godward — 
into  something  wondrously,  inconceivably 
powerful,  wise  and  good. 

Harriet  proceeded  to  make  the  necessary 
preparations  for  their  journey  to  America. 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     47 

She  resolutely  forebore  to  think  of  the  mor- 
row, saying  to  herself:  '  Sufficient  unto  the 
day  is  the  evil  thereof.'  Besides,  I  shall  need 
all  the  reserved  strength  I  can  command  in 
what  may  perhaps  be  my  last  meeting  with 
Captain  Bruno.  Of  course  in  his  weak  state 
he  will  play  the  part  of  a  baby.  Ah,  me,  how 
I  love  babies  in  general,  and  Ivo  in  particu- 
lar 1" 


CHAPTER   IV 


"  The  same  rich  hair  is  yours,  the  tweet  deep 

eyes 
That  meet  us  in  old  frescoes,  where  are 

wrought 
The  prayers  of  the  old  masters  as  they 

sought 
To  paint  Christ's  mother. 

"I  see — no,  Raphael,  Guido  mere  not  blind: 
'Twas  such  as  you  at  twilight  come  to  greet 
Their    tired    footsteps    at    the    door,    that 

taught   their  art 

To  weave  its  sainted  spell  about  the  heart" 
CHARLES  COLEMAN  STODDARD. 


CHAPTER  IV 

'FTER  Harriet  had  made  her  father 
comfortable  on  the  morrow  and  had 
attended  to  importunate  business 
matters,  she  found  her  way  quickly 
to  Captain  Ivo's  sick  room.  No  sooner  did 
that  gentleman  catch  sight  of  her  than,  as 
usual  of  late,  he  held  out  his  arms,  eager  to 
embrace  his  "madonna  nurse."  Ivo's  face 
fairly  shone,  being  quite  transfigured  by  the 
love  he  bore  her.  By  the  way,  what  is  love — 
that  it  can  work  such  miracles  in  the  human 
countenance  as  to  make  one  dream  of  angels, 
of  gods  and  goddesses — make  one  know  there 
is  something  in  the  universe  that  eye  hath  not 
seen  nor  ear  heard,  transcendentally  beautiful, 
compact  of  Sweetness  and  Light?  On  the 
other  hand,  when  one  is  possessed  by  the  spirit, 
of  passion,  of  hate,  how  one's  countenance 
darkens  and  glowers  like  that  of  a  mad  beast! 
After  Ivo  had  held  his  Harriet  to  his  breast 

£1 


52     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

closely  yet  tenderly,  and  had  given  the  lov- 
er's long,  clinging  kiss,  together  with  half  a 
dozen  impetuous  boyish  ones  thrown  in  for 
good  measure,  he  said,  impatiently: 

"  Sit  down!  I  have  a  plan  to  propose — 
something  to  make  your  father  well  and 
strong." 

"  That  is  worth  considering,  surely,  seeing 
that  we  have  tried  many  things  with  doubtful 
success."  Harriet  smiled  indulgently  at  his 
boyish  enthusiasm.  He  resumed,  giving  the 
hand  he  held  an  extra  squeeze: 

''  Why  cannot  we  three — or  five,  rather, 
since  you  will  want  to  take  your  doctor  and  sec- 
retary along — spend  a  little  time  at  my  beauti- 
ful ancestral  home?  Grandmother  Bruno  left 
it  to  me,  for  I  was  her  idol.  The  castle  villa  is 
perched  on  an  elevation  high  above  the  sea,  in 
the  purest,  best,  most  invigorating  air  imagi- 
nable. The  road  winding  up  to  this  high- 
perched  Bruno  Home  reveals,  as  it  ascends,  a 
thousand  charmingly  romantic  though  some- 
times magnificent  scenes.  My  friends  have 
frequently  told  me,  while  sitting  on  our  ter- 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     53 

race,  that  the  extended  view  of  the  surround- 
ing country,  embracing  as  it  does  a  great 
stretch  of  sea,  snow-capped  mountains,  water- 
falls, romantic  ruins  and  picturesque,  historic 
places,  was  the  finest,  most  romantic  they  had 
ever  seen." 

"  Ah,  how  I  should  love  to  walk  or  ride  up 
that  winding  road,  and  sit  on  that  terrace!" 
sighed  Harriet. 

The  Captain  was  so  pleased  that  he  had  not 
received  a  calm  but  firm  "  non  possimus,"  that 
he  continued  piling  up  new  attractions  having 
to  do  with  his  ancestral  home. 

'  Why,  at  one  bend  of  this  winding  road 
there  is  actually  a  fine  view  to  be  had  of  ancient 
catacombs " 

At  this  point  in  his  narration  Harriet  shud- 
dered; but  yet  she  said  smilingly,  "  Go  on!  go 
on!" 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"  Oh,  ever  since  I  nearly  got  lost  in  some  of 
the  interminable  catacombs  of  underground 
Rome,  the  very  word  somewhat  terrorizes  me." 

"But  my  catacombs  are  all  right,"  stoutly 


54     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

asserted  Ivo,  as  Harriet  withdrew  her  hand 
from  his,  and,  pulling  out  of  her  expensive  bag 
— a  present  from  her  father's  manager — a  fine 
piece  of  linen,  intended  as  a  little  gift  to  her 
tutor  in  New  York,  began  to  embroider  a  bit 
of  poetry  in  a  corner  of  it.  She  had  already 
hemstitched  it  in  an  exquisite  manner.  The 
Captain  did  not  ask  her  whom  the  handker- 
chief was  for,  hoping  that  she  meant  it  for  him. 

'  They  are  not  underground — not  alto- 
gether," he  declared,  "  but  peacefully  repose 
under  picturesque,  vine-draped  walls.  But, 
since  catacombs  is  an  unsavory  subject,  let 
me  call  your  attention  to  a  view  that  brings  to 
mind  perhaps  the  most  wonderful  people,  all 
things  considered,  who  ever  made  a  home  for 
themselves  on  this  little,  spotty  globe." 

"  The  Greeks,  you  mean,"  interpolated 
Harriet,  as  Ivo  paused. 

"None  other;  and  they,  some  of  them, 
actually  built  a  theater  on  a  cliff  of  this  wind- 
ing road,  the  ruins  of  which  set  one  dreaming 
and  looking  backward,  recalling  famous 
Greek  plays  and  equally  famous  Greek  actors 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     55 

robed  in  wonderful  classic  costumes  express- 
ing sentiments  wise,  witty  or  pathetic,  in  a 
wonderful  language." 

"  Ruins  of  that  kind  I  am  always  delighted 
to  see,  to  examine — and  to  dream  over."  Har- 
riet looked  up  from  her  work  smilingly,  while 
Ivo  caught  the  hand  nearest  to  him  and  kissed 
it.  He  was  so  happy.  Surely  he  might  win 
out  yet,  and  the  sad  day  of  parting  be  indefi- 
nitely postponed.  He  continued  excitedly: 

"  Why,  yes,  besides  the  catacombs — beg 
pardon,  I  meant  to  say  *  Greek  ruins ' — there's 
Mt.  Etna,  far  grander  than  when  Nature  first 
tossed  her  up,  more  than  a  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  located  her  so  that  her  grandeur 
is  very  impressive.  Also  the  views  to  be  had 
of  the  great,  pale  turquoise  sea,  at  various 
places  as  we  ascend  or  descend  this  serpentine 
road,  are  not  by  any  means  to  be  despised." 

"  Surely  not!  Sometimes  I  am  tempted  to 
think  that  the  strange,  strange  sea  with  its 
myriad  moods,  its  usually  divine,  though  some- 
times diabolical  beauty,  its  terrorizing  insta- 
bility and  inconceivable  cruelty — at  times — is 


56     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

the  most  mysterious  work  of  Nature — after 
man." 

"  Say,  c  after  woman ! '  exclaimed  Ivo, 
laughing  a  little.  "  Really  man  does  not  be- 
gin to  be  the  mystery  a  woman  is,  be  she  peas- 
ant or  queen." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  Both  are  infinitely 
mysterious — as  is  everything ;  so  that  man  will, 
doubtless,  be  infinitely  employed  guessing  and 
unraveling  the  infinite  mysteries  of  God.  But 
tell  me  some  more  about  your  romantic,  high- 
perched  home." 

"  If  one  is  a  lover  of  myth,  fairy  lore  and 
legend,  one  has  but  to  lend  an  ear  to  the  peas- 
ants of  the  soil  to  have  it  filled  with  uncanny 
tales  in  connection  with  every  height,  water- 
fall, gorge,  cave  or  rock.  Likewise  in  this 
divine  spot — according  to  tradition — the  very 
gods  and  goddesses  of  Greece  used  to  descend 
sometimes,  and,  instead  of  quarreling  in  a 
scandalous  manner,  as.  they  have  been  accused 
of  doing  while  on  Mt.  Olympus,  here,  on  the 
other  hand,  they  bathed  one  another's  feet, 
kept  their  robes  spotless,  sang  holy  songs — in 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     57 

short,  treated  one  another  like  Christians,  each 
preferring  the  other,  and  serving  one  another 
in  a  spirit  of  love " 

"  My  heavens !  you  must  be  getting  delirious 
again,  caro  mio"  Harriet  laid  a  cool  hand 
quickly  on  Ivo's  brow,  regarding  him  with  so 
serious  a  look  that  he  burst  out  laughing  most 
joyously,  hearing  which  Lieutenant  Mayer 
stepped  into  the  room  and  improved  his  oppor- 
tunity to  shake  hands  with  Harriet. 

"  Always  you  are  the  magician,"  he  said 
pleasantly. 

"  Oh,  no;  not  now.  It's  your  comrade  who 
is  the  magician;  raising  Greek  gods  and  god- 
desses for  my  benefit.  And  would  you  believe 
it,  he  is  endowing  them  with  Christian 
graces ! " 

;<  What  kind  are  they?"  innocently  queried 
the  Lieutenant.  "  I  have  been  in  the  army  so 
long,  I  quite  forget." 

"  Oh,  don't  ask  me.  I  am  a  business  woman. 
In  the  world  of  business  we  are  still  barbar- 
ians. You  know  we  think  nothing  of  decapi- 
tating one  another,  financially,  or  of  bringing 


58     AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

ruin  upon  thousands  of  people  if  we  can 
thereby  feather  our  nests  more  quickly.  Ah, 
hut  I  must  be  going — must  bid  my  two  life- 
preservers  '  good-bye '  for  the  present.  We 
start  at  two.  Father  asked  me  to  thank  you 
again  for  helping  to  save  his  daughter,  and  to 
tell  you  how  sorry  he  was  that  in  his  feeble  con- 
dition he  must  husband  his  strength;  other- 
wise he  would  have  climbed  the  necessary 
flights  of  stairs  in  order  to  see  you  once  again 
and  have  the  pleasure  of  taking  you  both  by 
the  hand." 

While  the  Lieutenant  was  unnecessarily 
prolonging  his  leave-taking  of  Harriet — 
meanwhile  holding  her  hand — Ivo  was  not 
only  losing  every  particle  of  patience  he  ever 
had,  or  thought  he  had,  but  a  terrific  brain 
storm,  fast  becoming  a  tempest,  was  brewing 
in  his  head — or  was  it  Magdalen's  seven  devils 
that  suddenly  took  possession  of  him  ?  At  any 
rate  he  rose  up  in  bed,  looking  very  much  like 
a  fiend,  and,  grasping  the  jeweled  bag  Har- 
riet had  laid  down  on  her  chair  near  his  bed, 
shot  it  with  great  force  at  his  comrade's  head. 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     59 

Next,  he  leaped  out  of  bed,  strong,  for  the 
time  being,  as  a  giant,  and  actually  thrust  his 
dazed  comrade  out  of  the  room  so  quickly  that 
Harriet  was  not  a  little  disturbed,  though  she 
did  not  show  it.  She  had  been  rigidly  trained 
by  her  father  to  let  nothing  rob  her  for  an  in- 
stant of  perfect  self-control.  Quickly  recov- 
ering her  usual  inner  poise,  she  wondered  what 
Ivo  would  do  next,  now  that  he  had  succeeded 
in  locking  the  Lieutenant  out  of  the  room.  It 
was  a  queer  situation  for  a  beautiful  young 
woman  to  find  herself  in ;  for,  the  month  being 
September  in  Rome,  and  the  Captain,  in  his 
tempest  of  rage  having  quite  forgotten  such 
a  small  detail  as  clothes,  looked  strangely 
ghost-like  in  his  long,  invalid  robe.  Also  it 
made  him  seem  supernaturally  tall  in  his  pres- 
ent gaunt  condition. 

Having  successfully  got  rid  of  the  Lieu- 
tenant, Ivo  turned  about  and  faced  Harriet, 
his  eyes  blazing  like  coals. 

"  Snake!  Witch!  Fiend! "  he  hissed.  Paus- 
ing a  moment  to  transfix  her  with  a  gaze  per- 
fectly diabolical,  he  continued,  as  if  addressing 


60     AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

a  group  of  Dantean  devils :  "  A  woman  is  al- 
ways a  woman!  Always  sly,  tricky,  treacher- 
ous! Everlastingly  a  snake!  charming  a  man 
with  her  basilisk  eyes,  then  stinging  him  into 
madness!  .  .  .  Nevertheless,  though  your 
treacherous  conduct  has  envenomed  my  whole 
being,  I  am  not  yet  so  mad  but  that  I  will 
listen  to  an  apology,  if  you  have  any  to 
offer." 

As  Ivo  finished  his  angry  outburst  it  was 
evident  that  Harriet's  quiet,  calm  deportment 
had  somewhat  stilled  the  tempest  in  his  breast. 
Also,  returning  sanity  made  him  conscious  of 
his  appearance.  Of  his  own  accord  he  got  dog- 
gedly— if  a  little  sheepishly — back  into  bed 
and  drew  the  coverlid  about  him.  After  the 
tempest,  or  perhaps  in  the  midst  of  it,  comes 
the  rain.  So  in  this  human  tempest.  The 
tears  came  swift  and  fast  into  Ivo's  burning 
eyes,  and  flowed  down  his  thin  cheeks.  Next 
came  heart-breaking  sobs,  while  Harriet  was 
unlocking  the  door  to  assure  his  poor  comrade 
— already  sporting  a  darkened  eye — that  the 
Captain  was  quite  himself  once  more,  and  she 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     61 

would  now  proceed  to  put  him  into  a  restful 
slumber  by  massaging  his  hot  head. 

"All  right!  Then  I  will  go  and  give  my 
eye  some  more  treatment,  else  I  shall  look  like 
I  had  been  in  a  fight.  Once  more,  good-bye." 

"  Good-bye,"  answered  Harriet,  as  she 
heartily  shook  his  hand  again. 

'  You  are  always  saying  good-bye  to  that 
fellow,"  complained  the  Captain,  in  the  midst 
of  his  sobs.  A  whiff  of  jealousy  had  seized 
him  anew. 

"  To  be  sure !  So  as  to  get  rid  of  him.  We 
can  then  go  on  with  our  nice  little  private  talk 
together." 

"Oh,  is  that  the  reason?"  exclaimed  poor 
Ivo,  all  at  once  immensely  relieved;  and, 
swiftly  as  the  tempest  had  gathered,  just  so 
swiftly  did  it  subside.  He  held  out  his  arms, 
saying  with  eyes  as  full  of  love  as  a  moment 
before  they  had  been  glowing  with  hate: 

"  Come,  let  us  kiss  and  make  up." 

Harriet  having  satisfactorily  performed 
her  part  in  the  love-mending  that  followed, 
Ivo  once  more  lay  back  on  his  pillow,  pale, 


62     AN    AMERICAN    MADONNA 

spent,  but  infinitely  happy,  because  he  was 
now  convinced  that  Harriet  had  not  really  in- 
tended to  slip  away  without  giving  him  a 
chance  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  her; 
for  she  must  know,  as  well  as  he  himself,  that 
he  loved  her  madly,  and  must  have  a  word  of 
encouragement  to  live  on  when  she  was  gone, 
else  he  was  sure  he  could  not  endure  to  live. 
Besides,  why  had  she  done  her  best  to  save  his 
life,  if  she  meant  to  cruelly  rob  him  of  it  at  the 
first  opportunity? 


CHAPTER  V 


FOREVER  AND  A   DAY 

I  little  know  or  care 

If  the  blackbird  on  the  bough 

If  filling  all  the  air 

With  his  soft  crescendo  now; 
For  she  is  gone  away, 
And  when  she  went  she  took 
The  springtime  in  her  look, 
The  peachblow  on  her  cheek, 
The  laughter  from  the  brook, 
The  blue  from  out  the  May — 
And  what  she  calls  a  week 
Is  forever  and  a  day! 

It's  little  that  I  mind 

How  the  blossoms,  pink  or  white, 
At  every  touch  of  wind 

Fall  a-trembling  with  delight; 
For  in  the  leafy  lane, 
Beneath  the  garden  boughs, 
And  through  the  silent  house 
One   thing   alone   I   seek. 
Until  she   come  again 
The  May  is  not   the  May, 
And  what  she  calls  a  week 
It  forever  and  a  day! 

THOMAS  B.  ALURICH. 


CHAPTER  V 

'ND  now,  caro  mio,  that  we  are  again 
the  best  of  friends,  let  me  hear  what 
further  you  wish  to  tell  me  about 
your  wonderful  Bruno  Home. 
Though  we  cannot  remain  to  see  it  now,  a  few 
months  hence,  when  we  shall  likely  go  abroad 
to  some  wonderful  place  to  spend  our  vaca- 
tion, we  may  do  so;  provided,"  she  added  mis- 
chievously, "  it  really  is  worth  seeing.  Father 
makes  it  a  point  to  visit  only  those  countries, 
places,  scenes  which  he  considers  of  educa- 
tional value  to  his  daughter,  Harriet,  whom 
he  has  tried  so  hard  to  educate  ever  since  she 
first  clung  tenaciously  to  one  of  his  big 
fingers." 

"Well,  I  told  you  that  some  Greek  gods 
and  goddesses  thought  it  worth  their  while  to 

visit  this  romantic  spot " 

"  Where  they  actually  developed  Christian 
graces " 

65 


66     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  Che!  che!  Pray  let  me  go  on.  I  want  to 
convince  you  that  it  is  worth  your  while  to 
visit  this  noble  spot  and  live  for  a  time  on  the 
heights  with  the  glorious  God  of  nature " 

"  Ah,  but  when  it  storms  I  may  come  down, 
may  I  not,  and  visit  with  you  in  your 
villa " 

"  Che,  che,  che,  che!  Stop  interrupting  me 
with  idiotic  questions.  Of  course  we  are  to 
climb  the  great  mountains  together,  hand  in 
hand,  freely  drinking  in  the  pure  nectar " 

"  Of  the  Greek  gods  with  Christian  graces." 

Ivo,  by  way  of  reply,  brought  his  hand  down 
with  crushing  force;  but,  happily,  Harriet's 
missed  the  blow. 

"  How  nagging  women  are — the  best  of 
them!  I  don't  wonder  men  have  been  trying 
to  suppress  them  ever  since  the  world  began! 
They  are  inconceivably,  insufferably,  unen- 
durably,  tantalizingly  mean  and  petty ;  enough 
to  drive  every  man  on  the  globe  crazy." 

Harriet  was  quite  pleased  with  her  success 
in  rousing  a  belligerent  mood  in  Ivo.  To  part 
with  him,  while  he  was  fuming,  would  be  easier 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     67 

than  to  do  so  when  he  was  sunk  in  despair. 
She  did  not  wish  to  drive  him  to  extremities, 
however,  so  she  said  in  an  apologetic  man- 
ner: 

'  You  should  understand,  angelo  mio,  that 
having  been  reared  a  business  person,  I  have 
enjoyed  but  a  bowing  acquaintance  with  the 
God  of  Nature;  while  as  for  the  companion- 
ship of  Greek  gods  and  goddesses,  that  I  can- 
not hope  to  have.  I  must,  perforce,  worship 
with  my  people  at  the  shrine  of  Mammon. 
But,  tell  me  of  your  castle-villa.  Love  for 
and  appreciation  of  domestic  architecture  is 
not  yet  a  lost  art  with  me,  though  I  have  ceased 
designing  anything  of  the  kind.  I  shall  prob- 
ably live  and  die  in  our  old-fashioned  home 
in  '  little  old  New  York.'  " 

"Dip  mio: — no!"  Again  Ivo's  hand  came 
down  with  unnecessary  force,  and,  as  before, 
Harriet  skillfully  evaded  the  descending  palm. 
'We  shall  live  and  die  in  my  little,  high- 
perched  Paradise,  and  our  bodies  shall  repose 
in  one  tomb.  As  for  our  shades,  they  shall 
join " 


68     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  Those  of  the  Greek  gods  with  Christian 
graces " 

"  Beware !  You  might  get  a  black  eye,  right 
in  the  midst  of  your  idiotic  talk! " 

Ivo  was  furious,  and  looked  it.  Harriet, 
by  way  of  reply,  calmly  pulled  out  her  watch, 
when  she  said:  "I  have  but  a  few  moments 
more,  and  you  have  not  yet  told  me  what  a 
woman  wants  most  to  hear  about — a  roman- 
tic home,  the  one  where,  likely,  you  yourself 
were  born;  you,  who  really  must  look  like  a 
Greek  god  in  form  when  in  health,  and  your 
frame  is  properly  cushioned  with  flesh.  As 
for  your  face,  that  often  reminds  me  of  the 
portrait  of  Raphael  painted  by  his  own  hand 
when  he  was  about  your  age,  or,  possibly,  a 
couple  of  years  younger." 

Ivo  blushed  with  pleasure,  like  a  girl  hear- 
ing herself  seriously  complimented  by  some 
one  who  truly  admires  her.  For  two  years 
he  had  been  in  the  wilds  of  Africa  where  a 
man  was  valued  as  he  showed  courage,  disci- 
pline, and  approved  himself  a  gallant  and 
trustworthy  officer. 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     69 

As  for  personal  beauty,  he  had  forgotten 
he  had  any,  for  not  seldom,  days,  weeks, 
months  passed  by  without  his  stopping  to  do 
more  than — after  shaving  himself  in  an  ab- 
sent-minded manner — give  his  face  a  hurried 
glance  in  a  bit  of  looking  glass,  which  com- 
ically elongated  his  features. 

Ivo  quickly  recovered  himself,  ashamed  to 
show  that  he  was  so  pleased  at  being  compli- 
mented about  what  he  considered  a  small 
matter.  To  show  that  it  was  but  a  fleeting 
impression,  he  said  with  dramatic  impressive- 
ness  : 

"  How  can  I  describe  a  beautiful,  artistic 
castle-villa,  full  of  antiques,  art-treasures,  old 
tapestries,  paintings — things  Italians  love — 
in  a  few  minutes!  'Tis  not  to  be  done! " 

"  Oh,  well,  then,  tell  me  how  much  the  thing 
is  worth,  in  dollars.  That  is  what  an  Amer- 
ican cares  most  to  know  about." 

"Imbecile!"  exclaimed  Ivo,  before  realiz- 
ing that  Harriet  was  trying  to  make  a  little 
joke  this  time  at  her  own  people's  expense. 
'  You  really  deserve  a  black  eye  for  teasing 


70     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

a  fellow  so  brutally,  when,  in  a  short  time,  we 
must  part,  perhaps  forever!" 

"Ah,  angelo  mio,  I  really  would  like  to 
know  what  the  villa  is  like.  It  is  easy  enough 
for  me  to  picture  an  Italian  terraced  garden, 
full  of  all  sorts  of  artistic  creations — grottos, 
fountains,  statuary — pebbly  walks  wrought  in 
all  kinds  of  fancy  patterns,  here  and  there 
covered  with  lattice  work,  embowered  with 
every  sort  of  vine.  Flowers,  of  course,  are 
everywhere  charmingly  placed;  vases  every- 
where; great  trees  of  many  varieties — pine, 
palm,  fig,  olive,  orange — plentiful,  and  which 
know  where  to  disport  themselves,  show  off 
their  shapes  or  bear  their  fruit.  But  the 
villa  itself,  a  castle- villa  at  that!  You  must 
really  enlighten  me,  so  that  I  can  carry  a  good 
picture  of  it  home  in  my  mind's  eye.  Of  what 
material  was  it  built,  and  who  was  its  archi- 
tect? " 

The  idea  of  Harriet's  wanting  to  carry 
home  a  picture  of  his  homejso  pleased  the  Cap- 
tain that  he  began  enthusiastically  to  answer 
her  questions,  after  he  had  tossed  off  from  his 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     71 

well-proportioned,  artistically  molded  brow  a 
curling  lock  of  tawny  gold. 

"  Oh,  one  of  my  ancestors  drew  the  plans 
and  supervised  the  work.  The  walls  are  of 
cement,  mixed  with  rubbish  of  all  kinds ;  hunks 
of  lava  from  Mt.  Etna,  stones  from  every- 
where, broken  flower-pots,  which  in  the  cement 
have  hardened,  making  walls  so  solid  that  they 
will  never  so  much  as  crack — till  doomsday." 

"  Ah,  an  improvement  on  our  walls,  which 
not  only  crack,  but  tumble  too  often  without 
warning.  But,  never  mind!  We  shall  yet 
build  well  and  strong  and  swiftly — perhaps 
artistically — when  our  Edisons  can  take  the 
time  to  evolve  the  right  material  and  the  right 
way  to  use  it.  Just  now  we  are  too  busy  mak- 
ing money  to  cultivate  our  home-making  in- 
stincts. Well,  I  will  take  it  for  granted  that 
your  castle-villa  is  a  joy  to  the  eye  and  as 
substantial  as  artistic.  But  how  about  Amer- 
ican improvements?  Is  it  fitted  up  with  those? 
Also  I  take  it  for  granted  that  your  help 
serves  you  like  wise  friends  instead  of  envious, 
greedy  enemies." 


72    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  Yes,  yes !  They  take  themselves  off  when 
their  work  is  done,  and  leave  us  in  peace.  As 
for  American  improvements,  we  are  putting 
them  in  gradually.  We  already  have  gas  in 
place  of  candles." 

At  this  point  in  their  conversation  Harriet 
rose,  exclaiming  in  her  most  business-like 
tones :  "  Time's  up !  I  must  be  off !  Father 
and  I  shall  endeavor  to  see  that  wonderful 
Bruno  Home  a  short  year  hence." 

After  pinning  her  hat  in  place,  she  drew  her 
gloves  from  her  bag  and  then  approached 
Ivo's  bedside. 

That  young  gentleman  seemed  to  be  sud- 
denly paralyzed.  He  lay  on  his  bed  quite 
motionless,  while  his  countenance  paled  until 
he  looked  like  a  recumbent  statue  of  Despair. 
Harriet,  in  spite  of  all  her  skillfully  laid  and 
well-executed  plans,  was  not  to  get  off  so  easy 
as  she  had  imagined.  She  had  expected  a  love- 
battle  of  some  kind;  but  to  see  the  gallant 
Captain  in  a  perfectly  helpless  condition, 
seemingly  as  helpless  as  if  dead,  was  decidedly 
a  situation  she  had  not  prepared  herself  to 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     73 

face,  and  endeavor  to  control.  However,  as 
she  had  been  taught,  first  by  her  father,  then 
by  her  own  self,  to  "  trust  God  and  fear  noth- 
ing," she  boldly  faced  the  pale  image  on  the 
bed,  saying: 

'  Wake  up,  Ivo  I  You  are  not  going  to 
sleep  before  you  bid  me  good-bye,  are  you  ? " 

These  words  roused  Ivo  from  his  stupor  of 
despair.  He  said  pathetically,  "  Harriet,  mia, 
how  can  you  joke  when  we  are  parting — in  all 
probability  never  to  see  each  other  again? " 

"  Nonsense !  If  we  live  a  decent,  common- 
sense  life,  we  shall  likely  both  of  us  reach  the 
normal  century  mark.  Meanwhile  we  might 
meet  again.  So  cheer  up  I " 

"Harriet!  You  are  such  an  idiot!"  im- 
patiently exclaimed  Ivo,  beginning  to  sob  like 
a  child.  As,  however,  he  felt  her  soft,  yet  firm 
hand  caress  his  brow,  he  opened  his  eyes  and 
gave  her  a  glance  so  full  of  despairing  an- 
guish, that  Harriet's  eyes  in  spite  of  herself 
filled  with  tears,  seeing  which  Ivo  grasped 
both  of  her  hands  in  a  tight,  apparently  never- 
let-go-clasp,  while  he  said  pleadingly: 


74     AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  Oh,  madonna  mial  One  little  promise  be- 
fore you  go — toKeep  me  alive.  Promise  me, 
O  promise  me,  that  you  will  be  mine,  soon — 
quickly!  I,  too,  will  learn  business  to  please 
your  father.  I,  too,  will  become  a  docile 
money-maker.  I,  too,  will  kneel  to  Mammon, 
for  love  of  you! " 

'  You  know  not  what  you  ask,  Ivo.  In  a  few 
years  from  now,  I  shall  probably  be  a  dried- 
up,  money-making  machine,  with  a  mind 
concentrated  on  gain,  a  heart  perfectly  atro- 
phied. My  face,  which  appears  comely  now, 
will  then  be  pale,  drawn,  repellent,  with  deep 
furrows  of  care  in  it;  since,  as  someone  has 
truly  said,  '  It  is  impossible  that  anyone 
should  have  great  and  grave  responsibilities 
without  in  some  way  showing  their  scars.'  You, 
on  the  other  hand,  developing  along  artistic 
lines,  with  your  hand  clasped  in  that  of  the 
Great  Artist,  will  be  handsomer  than  ever — if 
that  is  possible — ten  years  from  now.  You 
will  be  envied  by  men,  adored  by  women.  It 
would  be  a  shame  for  me  to  take  advantage  of 
your  immaturity  now,  and  while,  too,  you  are 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     75 

ill.  Besides,  I  have  already  given  my  word  to 
my  father  that  I  will  not  wed  so  long  as  he 
lives.  Since  the  desertion  of  my  Italian 
mother,  he  has  been  both  father  and  mother  to 
me.  Yes,  indeed!  for  twenty-five  years — a 
full  quarter  of  a  century — he  has  been  devoted 
to  me.  To  disturb  our  relations  now  would 
hasten  his  death.  I  would  be  his  murderer — 
savez? " 

Captain  Ivo,  though  much  impressed  by 
what  Harriet  had  said,  yet  made  haste  to  urge, 
"But  I  will  wait — wait — wait !  till  doomsday, 
if  it  is  necessary.  Only  give  me  the  promise! 
Give  it  to  me  now.  Now  is  the  accepted  time." 

"  Ah,  but  you  are  young,  mon  ami.  You  will 
be  considered  a  great  match,  when  you  are 
willing  to  dig  up  a  few  of  your  titles.  Then, 
pardon  me,  you  are  so  very  handsome  and 
charming.  Best  of  all,  there  is  your  record 
for  gallant  behavior  in  the  army  and  out.  No, 
I  shall  not  permit  you  to  enter  into  any  sort 
of  engagement  with  an  American  business 
woman  older  than  yourself.  Good-bye !  God 
bless  you!  My  memories  in  connection  with 


76     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

my  two  Italian  friends — more  particularly 
with  one  of  the  two — who  so  gallantly  saved 
my  life,  shall  always  be  sacred  to  me;  and  I 
feel  confident  they  will  ever  be  the  sweetest 
memories  I  am  to  know." 

Harriet  withdrew  her  hands  quickly  from 
those  of  Ivo's,  also  quickly  kissed  him  on  his 
forehead,  and  almost  before  he  was  aware, 
had  turned  and  reached  the  door.  He  just 
had  time  to  hold  out  his  arms  and  mutely  beg 
her  not  to  leave  him  in  despair. 

It  did  not  occur  to  Harriet,  trained  as  she 
was  to  business  methods,  to  go  back  and  unsay 
her  parting  words.  Involuntarily,  however, 
seeing  his  mute  despair,  she  said,  ere  she 
crossed  the  threshold,  and  with  great  dis- 
tinctness, "  Ivo,  mio3  be  as  brave  in  love  as 
you  have  been  in  war!  Remember! " 

Then  the  door  closed  and  Ivo  swooned  dead 
away.  In  this  condition  he  was  found  by  the 
Lieutenant,  whom  Harriet  promptly  dis- 
patched to  his  bedside. 


CHAPTER  VI 


A^o  man  or  woman  can  go  through  divorce 
proceedings  without  awful  scars,  and  most  can- 
didates are  ruined  by  the  ordeal.  Divorce  is 
heroic  treatment.  It  seeks  to  give  relief  from 
the  results  of  a  most  unhappy  accident — the 
mismating  of  a  man  and  a  woman. 

There  is  only  one  thing  more  terrible  than 
divorce,  and  that  is  to  go  through  life  manacled 
hand  and  foot,  with  an  iron  compress  on  head 
and  heart. 

ELBERT  HUBBARD. 


CHAPTER   VI 

IT  is  to  be  hoped  that  few  men  at 
the  present  time  have  developed  so 
much  antipathy  to  our  present  mar- 
riage and  divorce  system  as  Har- 
riet's father,  because  it  is  likely  to  grow  worse 
before  it  evolves  into  something  better ;  and  in 
the  meantime  people  should  marry  and  be 
given  in  marriage.  To  John  W.  White  mar- 
riage was  but  another  name  for  scandal,  im- 
mense legal  and  alimony  fees,  and,  far  harder 
yet  to  bear,  complete  loss  of  reputation  as  a 
decent,  domestic  man ;  for  Mr.  White  had  had 
the  courage  to  marry  twice  over  and  again 
twice  over  to  speed  swiftly  through  America's 
divorce  mill  to  please  two  impatient  young 
women  eager  to  wed  again. 

His  first  unfortunate  matrimonial  venture 
had  been  with  a  society  belle,  a  lovely  bit  of 
blond  flesh,  who  found  it  easy  to  hypnotize 
herself  into  distracting  love-infatuations. 

79 


80     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

Consequently  this  dazzling  bit  of  femininity 
soon  tired  of  solid,  sober,  serious  John  White, 
and  in  less  than  two  years  after  her  marriage 
with  the  "  dull  beast,"  she  was  conjuring  her 
petty,  bird-like  brain  as  to  the  quickest — and 
most  profitable — way  to  get  rid  of  him.  She 
imagined  herself  "  just  gone "  on  a  young 
sporting  man,  so  devoted,  so  different  from 
the  bear  she  had  unwisely  married. 

Mr.  White,  being  a  high-bred  gentleman, 
felt  that  he  could  do  no  less  than  promptly 
pave  the  way  with  gold  leading  from  a  hated 
marriage  with  himself  to  divorce,  so  that  his 
wife  could  quickly  remarry  and  secure  bliss 
with  another  man,  who  was,  she  declared,  her 
"  soul-mate." 

Mr.  White  himself  was  in  no  particular 
haste  to  wed  again.  He  preferred  to  slavishly 
lose  himself  in  business  affairs,  eschewing  so- 
ciety utterly. 

At  thirty-five,  however,  having  built  up  a 
huge  business  plant  and  accumulated  a  large 
fortune,  he  once  more  found  himself  "  caring 
much"  for  another  young  woman,  employed 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     81 

by  him  as  a  typist.  Under  his  training  she 
developed  into  a  very  intelligent  secretary, 
earning  a  large  salary  with  which  she  not  only 
supported  herself  but  her  old  parents,  and 
paid  the  college  fees  of  a  promising  younger 
brother.  She  was  a  dark,  handsome  woman  of 
Italian  parentage,  but  having  been  in  America 
since  she  was  a  little  tot,  both  spoke  and  wrote 
English  like  a  native.  Her  disposition  was 
sympathetic  and  yielding.  Indeed  she  tried 
to  do  that  idiotic  and  impossible  thing,  viz.,  to 
please  everybody. 

Not  until  Mrs.  White  No.  2  had  eloped  did 
her  deserted  husband  learn  that  his  Leonora 
had  wedded  him  solely  to  please  her  parents 
and  her  brother.  A  note  left  by  her  on  his 
desk  read  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  MR.  WHITE — How  can  you  forgive  me  for 
leaving  you  as  I  have  done?  when,  too,  you  have  been  so 
kind  and  generous  to  me  and  my  relatives. 

"  But — God  forgive  me !  I  can  no  longer  bear  to  live 
in  my  present  state  of  awful  anxiety.  You  see,  my 
dear  Adolphe  is  very  ill,  and  threatens  to  blow  his 
brains  out,  unless  I  leave  '  that  American '  and  come  to 


82     AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

him.  He  is  in  Italy,  where  I  shall  be  as  soon  as  I  can 
get  there.  The  tiny  babe,  which  looks  like  you,  I  leave 
to  help  you  forget  me.  Please  get  a  divorce  as  quickly 
as  possible,  so  that  I  can  be  married  to  my  dear  Adolphe. 
"  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"  LEONORA." 

The  idea  of  having  to  go  through  the  di- 
vorce mill  a  second  time  so  wore  on  the  spirit 
of  the  brooding,  deserted  Mr.  White,  that  he 
thought  seriously  of  taking  the  shortest  route 
— that  of  suicide.  For  some  reason,  domestic 
infelicity  and  scandal  bear  far  more  heavily 
on  men  than  on  women.  Indeed  some  women 
seem  actually  to  enjoy  posing  as  domestic 
martyrs,  while  a  continuous  stream  of  coin 
flowing  ceaselessly  into  their  coffers  not  in- 
frequently makes  new  creatures  of  them — not 
exactly  in  the  Lord,  but  in  the  matter  of  feel- 
ing equal  to  wedding  men  much  younger  than 
themselves. 

It  was  wee  Harriet  who  kept  her  father 
from  resorting  to  so  awful  a  method  of  ob- 
taining divorce  as  the  suicide  route  offered; 
and  the  way  she  did  it  was  extremely  simple: 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     83 

merely  hanging  on  for  dear  life  to  one  of  his 
fingers  when  she  got  the  opportunity  to  catch 
on  to  it  with  her  tenacipus  baby  fingers.  The 
soft,  clinging  hand  of  his  child  sent  a  thrill  of 
pure  happiness  into  the  very  citadel  of  his 
lonely  being. 

Presently  the  tiny  creature  had  developed  a 
broad  smile  in  repayment  for  the  sad  but  ten- 
der ones  her  father  lavished  upon  her.  Next 
she  learned,  "  faster  than  any  other  baby,"  the 
nurse  declared,  to  clap  her  hands  and  crow  for 
joy  as  soon  as  Mr.  White  came  into  the  nurs- 
ery upon  his  return  from  business.  But  the 
baby  stunt  which  captured  his  heart  com- 
pletely, or,  rather,  gave  him  a  bran  new  one, 
was  when  the  little  creature  began  to  shout, 
"  Dad!  Dad!  Dad! "  as  soon  as  her  wide-awake 
round  eyes  caught  sight  of  him,  after  a  more 
or  less  prolonged  absence.  He  was  sure  no 
one  had  ever  loved  him  so  truly  as  his  little 
Harriet:  always  ready  to  shout  in  joy,  "  Dad! 
Dad!  Dad! "  And  how  quickly  did  the  little 
creature,  by  the  use  of  such  simple  means, 
create  a  Paradise  for  Mr.  White,  where  for- 


84     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

merly  had  been  a  wilderness,  full  of  dead  men's 
bones. 

The  fond  father  did  not  spoil  the  little 
creature,  upon  whom  he  bestowed  the  long, 
pent-up  love  of  his  nature — as,  after  many 
years,  he  bestowed  upon  her  the  bulk  of  his 
great  fortune,  gathered  together  by  indomi- 
table energy,  perseverance  and  intuitive  finan- 
cial genius.  On  the  other  hand,  he  trained 
her  to  be  like  unto  himself,  a  tireless  worker 
and  an  original  thinker;  likewise  a  stoic  in  the 
business  world;  taught  her  to  bear  herself  in 
crucial  circumstances  with  the  calmness  and 
wisdom  of  a  Greek  philosopher,  or,  that  of 
the  best  type  of  American  business  men,  who 
it  has  been  asserted,  having  lost  one  fortune, 
are  ready  and  eager  to  stand  up  and  have  an- 
other tussle  with  fortune ;  and,  if  need  be,  still 
another,  and  still  another. 

While  she  was  quite  young  and  growing 
rapidly,  physically,  he  selected  for  her  an  ex- 
cellent private  school  where  the  scholars  were 
not  too  many  for  their  teacher  to  do  ample 
justice  to  each  pupil. 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     85 

A  bonafide  Frenchman  early  became  a 
member  of  Mr.  White's  household,  to  be  sup- 
planted by  a  German  as  soon  as<e*wr  his  pupil 
could  speak  French  "  like  a  native."  Later 
on  her  music  teachers,  vocal  and  instrumental, 
had  a  pretty  clear  field  in  which  to  initiate 
their  pupil  in  their  divine  art,  music,  and  like- 
wise assist  her  to  obtain  a  perfect  pronuncia- 
tion of  the  most  harmonious  and  best  tone- 
placing  language  of  all — the  Italian. 

Finally,  however,  Mr.  White  shocked  all 
his  friends  by  having  his  only  daughter — and 
heir  to  millions — finished,  not  in  an  aristo- 
cratic, fashionable  boarding  school,  but  in  a 
thorough-going  business  college.  Her  diploma 
secured,  he  took  her  at  once  into  partnership 
with  himself,  without  so  much  as  giving  her 
a  taste  of  society  by  way  of  a  debut.  Next  he 
taught  her  to  "  dress  for  business,"  as  he  ex- 
pressed it ;  adding,  "  You  cannot  mix  business 
successfully  with  the  spirit  of  coquetry — 
which  latter  quality  is  easily  aroused  by  be- 
decking yourself  with  feminine  frills  and  fur- 
belows. Always,  in  the  morning,  attire  your- 


86     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

self  in  a  plain  business  suit,  and  forget  during 
business  hours  that  you  are  a  woman." 

In  a  short  time  she  had  learned  to  imitate 
so  perfectly  her  father's  grave,  dignified,  yet 
prompt  and  alert  way  of  handling  a  multitude 
of  business  details,  that  it  was  frequently  re- 
marked by  his  employees,  "  Yes,  she's  a  chip 
of  the  old  block  all  right,  and  will  make  her 
mark  in  the  business  world,  as  he  has  made 
his." 

And  yet,  though  she  had  for  several  years 
done  business  .just  like  a  thoughtful,  enter- 
prising man  during  the  business  hours  of  each 
day,  yet  had  she,  his  Harriet,  at  the  mature 
age  of  twenty-five,  fallen  desperately  in  love 
just  like  any  fashionabl^  bred,  romance-read- 
ing girl.  True,  she  had  done  so  in  fair  Italy, 
the  home  of  Romeo  and  Juliet,  of  Petrarch 
and  Laura,  of  Dante  and  Beatrice — where 
love  is  most  ardent  and  thrilling,  passionate, 
though  sometimes  meek  and  patient,  as  well 
as  enduring. 

The  time  when  Mr.  White's  business-bred 
daughter  did  this  most  undesirable  thing — to 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     87 

fall  in  love — was  during  the  last  decade  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  that  century  which  has 
done  more  for  the  emancipation  of  mankind 
from  physical  drudgery  by  the  introduction  of 
wondrous,  almost  intelligent,  machinery,  than 
all  previous  centuries  combined. 

The  place  wherejias  already  been  told;  but 
it  is  worth  repeating  over  and  over,  for  with 
each  repetition,  what  vast  pictures  fill  the  mind 
in  connection  with  a  city  which  neither  fire, 
flood,  nor  earthquake,  fierce  hate,  fierce  greed, 
wanton  luxury,  fanatic  religion,  cruel,  ener- 
vating pleasures,  nor  yet  again  frenzied  am- 
bition, with  its  never-ceasing  clash  of  innumer- 
able legions  and  armies,  could  wholly  destroy. 
Yes,  it  was  Rome,  the  Eternal  City,  who  is  to- 
day renewing  her  strong  youth,  aye,  is  already 
one  of  Europe's  important  capitals.  Who 
knows  but  that  in  spite  of  her  countless  mis- 
takes, followed  always  by  sure-footed  retri- 
bution, she  is  yet  destined  to  become,  in  the 
glorious  future,  the  capital  of  a  united,  king- 
dethroned  Europe;  thrilling  our  souls  as  a 
Mother  of  Peace,  as  she  could  never  even  have 


88     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

bedazzled  the  eyes  of  past  generations  when 
she  was  the  consummate  mistress  in  the  art 
of  war. 

But  the  ardent  lover  of  Harriet  is  no  longer 
in  Rome.  After  months  of  silence,  without 
even  so  much  as  a  letter  from  his  American 
madonna  to  cheer  his  hungry  heart,  he  has  at 
length  crossed  the  wide  ocean  and  hovers  night 
and  day  about  a  certain  old  New  York  home 
in  a  quaint  neighborhood.  The  house  is  filled 
with  objets  d'art,  the  gleanings  of  many  a 
summer  vacation  in  the  Old  World  by  Mr. 
White  and  Harriet,  and  members  of  the 
White  family. 

But  at  last  patience  and  perseverance  are 
rewarded,  and  Ivo  and  Harriet  find  each  other, 
quite  by  chance.  Harriet  was  walking  swiftly, 
her  mind  full  of  her  father,  who  was  very  ill, 
when,  without  warning,  just  as  she  turned  a 
corner,  who  should  she  run  into  but  Ivo  him- 
self! Each  began  hurriedly  to  "  beg  pardon," 
then  straightway  ran  into  each  other  again 
when  they  realized,  "Why,  it's  Ivo!" — 
"  Dio  mio,  it's  you,  Harriet,  my  lost  love!" 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     89 

After  they  had  embraced  and  kissed  in  a  con- 
ventional way,  like  brother  and  sister,  they 
stood  gazing  into  each  other's  eyes,  when  sud- 
denly Ivo's  face  grew  deadly  pale.  The  next 
moment  he  had  taken  Harriet  in  his  strong 
arms,  muttering,  "I  mean  to  have  the  real 
thing  now  by  way  of  kisses — after  months  of 
almost  unendurable  torture."  Thus  speaking 
he  drew  Harriet  to  him,  and,  quite  regardless 
of  consequences,  he  kissed  first  her  brow  twice, 
then  her  two  eyes,  her  two  cheeks,  and  finally 
he  pressed  on  her  sweet  lips  the  long,  passion- 
ate, clinging  kiss  of  the  Italian  lover.  Harriet 
being  a  business  woman  who  never  lost  her 
head,  soon  protested  and  drew  herself  away, 
saying : 

"  My  heavens,  caro,  you  must  not  show  your 
love  for  me  so  strenuously  on  the  street.  The 
police  might  take  you  for  an  escaped  lunatic 
and  arrest  you." 

Captain  Bruno,  or  Conte  Bruno,  as  he  was 
usually  called  in  Rome,  laughed  gayly  as  he 
remarked : 

"Ugh,  these  cold  New  Yorkers!     It  will 


90     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

not  hurt  them  in  the  least  to  see  that  an  Italian 
can  make  love  as   strenuously  as  they   can*'v/ 
money,  and  get  a  thousand  times  more  satis- 
faction by  so  doing.     But  how  is  the  dear 
father?" 

In  an  instant  Harriet's  face  clouded  over 
with  anxiety.  She  put  out  her  hand  to  Ivo  in 
token  of  farewell. 

"  Heaven  forgive  me !  He  is  very  ill — per- 
haps on  his  deathbed.  I  was  hurrying  home 
when  I  ran  into  your  arms.  Au  revoir!" 


CHAPTER   VII 


Who  believes  in  the  home  and  the  fireside  and 
children  most?  On  my  heart,  I  believe  it  is, 
in  this  day  and  generation,  and  in  this  country, 
the  man. 

Who  marries  for  money? 

The  woman. 

For  place?  For  position?  For  spite?  For 
vanity?  For  convenience?  For  family  rea- 
sons? 

The  woman. 

Half  the  women  I  know  are  proud  of  the  fact 
that  they  do  not  love  their  husbands,  and  do  not 
even  pretend  to  love  them. 

American  women  starving  for  romance! 
You're  wrong,  Prince  Troubetsky,  you're  wrong. 
It  is  the  American  man  who  is  starving  and  the 
American  woman  who  is  starving  him. 

WINIFRED  BLACK  in  The  American. 


CHAPTER   VII 

OO  not  weep  any  more,  my  dear 
Harriet,  but  give  me  your  undi- 
vided attention  while  I  speak  of 
a  matter  over  which  I  have  brooded 
much.  I  trust  you  will  continue  in  your 
present  sphere  of  usefulness  for  many  years. 
You  fill  it  well,  and  it  would  be  hazard- 
ous to  make  a  change — for  thousands  are 
dependent  on  our  business  being  conducted 
properly.  In  order  that  you  might  some  time 
be  a  great  and  shining  light  among  the  fa- 
mous philanthropists  of  New  York  I  have 
purposely  refrained  from  being  little  more 
than  a  mere  money-maker.  Ah,  yes,  my  Har- 
riet, I  have  always  been  ambitious  for  you, 
and  I  have  tried  to  educate  you  so  that  you 
can  fill  a  large  place  in  our  great  city — when 
I  am  gone.  And  to  be  sure  that  you  will  do 
so,  I  feel  compelled  to  beg  you  to  promise  me, 

ere  I  die " 

"  What  is  it,  father,  that  I  am  to  promise?  " 

93 


94     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

Harriet  asked,  as  her  father  hesitated,  then 
stopped  speaking  altogether. 

"  Promise — me — never — to — marry" 

For  an  instant  these  two,  father  and  daugh- 
ter, gazed  steadfastly  into  each  other's  eyes. 
During  that  terrible  fraction  of  time  Harriet 
saw  herself  bidding  adieu  to  a  frenzied  lover, 
to  wifehood,  motherhood — to  womanhood  it- 
self! Saw  herself  evolving  slowly  but  surely 
into  a  hard,  grasping,  loveless  being,  becom- 
ing at  length  a  mere  machine  for  the  coining 
of  money.  But,  nevertheless,  perceiving  that 
death  was  about  to  claim  its  victim,  she  quickly 
wound  her  arms  about  her  father's  neck,  and, 
gazing  into  his  eyes  with  the  look  he  knew  so 
well,  and  which  said,  plain  as  words,  "  You 
can  trust  me,  father,"  then  with  distinct  em- 
phasis came  unfalteringly: 

"  I  promise." 

Hearing  these  words,  a  smile  lit  up  her 
father's  countenance,  and  thus  did  Mr.  White, 
millionaire,  pass  on,  smiling! 

The  clock  struck  twelve  as  he  breathed  his 
last. 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA     95 

It  was  striking  twelve  one  week  later,  when 
Harriet  looked  up  from  a  note  she  had  just 
finished  writing  to  her  lover.  It  had  been  ex- 
tremely hard  for  her  to  frame  the  two  short 
sentences  of  which  it  was  composed,  and  the 
toilsome  fruit  of  her  labor  was  likewise  hard. 
Harriet  realized  this  fact  clearly;  but  she  said, 
by  way  of  excuse,  <:'Tis  better  so.  A  cruel 
business  should  be  finished  with  dispatch,  else 
it  becomes  torture." 

The  note  read  as  follows: 

"  DEAR  Ivo — I  promised  my  father  on  his  death-bed 
never  to  marry.  Pray,  forgive  and  forget  me. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  HARRIET  WHITE." 

As  her  ardent  lover  glanced  over  this  cold, 
short  communication  from  the  woman  he  had 
worshiped  ever  since  he  had  first  looked  into 
her  eyes,  his  heart  was  pierced  through  and 
through  with  an  awful,  deadly,  depressing 
pain.  Next  it  seemed  to  him  his  blood  had 
turned  to  fire  and  was  consuming  him,  while 
his  brain  became  that  of  a  madman,  incapable 
of  judging  of  things  sanely  and  seeing  them 


96     AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

truly.  He  fairly  flew  to  his  trunk,  unlocked 
it  with  frenzied  haste,  tossed  a  pile  of  things 
pellmell  on  the  carpet,  then  digging  down  to 
the  bottom,  he  soon  found  what  he  was  look- 
ing for — his  pistol!  For  a  moment  his  hot, 
bloodshot  eyes  examined  it  critically  to  see  if 
it  was  in  a  condition  to  kill  two  people;  for 
poor  Ivo  had  reached  the  decision,  instantane- 
ously, as  soon  as  the  meaning  of  the  cruel 
note  had  penetrated  his  brain,  that  since  he 
and  Harriet  could  not  live  together,  they 
should  die  together.  He  thrust  the  pistol  into 
one  of  his  pockets.  What  to  do  next?  It  was 
useless  to  hang  about  her  premises  so  early  in 
the  morning,  so  he  dropped  into  a  chair,  and 
as  he  did  so  his  eye  fell  on  the  cruel  sheet  of 
paper  at  his  feet.  He  picked  it  up  in  frenzied 
rage,  tearing  it  into  bits  with  demoniacal  glee, 
saying: 

"Ijjo  mio!  if  only  I  had  that  false,  heart- 
less creature  in  my  grasp — like  this  bit  of 
paper — how  quickly  I  would  destroy  her — as 
I  am  now  destroying  her  diabolical  note ! " 

Having  by  this  time  made  mince  meat  of 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA     97 

the  paper,  he  blew  the  bits  he  held  in  his  hand 
high  into  the  air,  when  soon  they  were  descend- 
ing like  snow-flakes.  He  watched  them 
moodily  until  all  had  settled  on  the  carpet, 
then  rose  and  began  walking  with  a  swift 
stride  through  his  suite  of  rooms,  talking  to 
himself,  and  wildly  gesticulating. 

"  Yes,  she  has  sold  our  love,  born  of 
Heaven,  for  gold — that  base  mistress,  that 
blood-sucking  vampire,  which  destroys  men 
and  nations,  womanhood,  and  innocent  little 
children.  Oh,  Golden  Calf!  wilt  thy  reign 
never  end?  Art  not  satisfied  to  wreck  the 
greatest  nations  of  the  past  but  must  also  lay 
thy  unholy,  thy  demoralizing,  thy  paralyzing 
grip  on  the  New  World — the  New  Hope  of 
humanity?  'Tis  even  so,  and  high  time  my 
Harriet  died!  Since,  when  Woman,  bearing 
in  her  breast  the  Heart  of  the  people  genders 
hard  this  divine  gift  and  then  kneels  by  the 
side  of  father,  husband,  or  son  in  homage  to 
the  Golden  Calf,  oh,  then,  is  God  betrayed 
anew!  Oh,  then  again,  must  vengeance  come! 
for  man  must  reap  what  he  sows!  .  .  . 


98     AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

Ay,  my  Harriet  must  die  and  I  must  die  with 
her.  Chielo !  I  am  already  dead — already  suf- 
fering the  intolerable  torments  of  hell !  Why, 
then,  try  to  drag  about  my  hateful,  befouling, 
putrefying  shell  of  flesh  one  year — two — 
maybe — O  God! — ten!  ...  I  cannot  do 
it — and  I  will  not  attempt  the  impossible! 
.  .  .  Perhaps, — who  knows?  but  that  in 
the  sweet  breast  of  Heaven  pardon  may  yet  be 
found  for  we  two  whom  a  cruel,  Mammon- 
worshiping  father  has  over-ruled,  a  bastard 
Fate  outdone!" 

Count  Ivo  Bruno  was  a  strange  blend,  not 
of  Jekyll  and  Hyde,  but  of  Raphael  and  Cava- 
lotti.  For  days  together  he  would  appear  to 
be  a  charmingly  well-done  reincarnation  of 
the  amiable  and  ever  adorable  Italian  artist, 
whose  early  death  caused  even  the  Pope  of  his 
time  to  weep  bitter  tears  of  anguish  and  dis- 
appointment over  the  premature  end  of  his 
favorite  artist  and  architect,  and  to  realize  that 
something  Godlike  had  been  removed  that 
could  not  be  replaced.  Then,  on  a  sudden,  al- 
most without  warning,  the  Cavalotti  side  of 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA     99 

Ivo's  character  would  be  to  the  fore.  Some- 
thing would  irritate  him  unduly.  Bitter  words 
would  be  spoken,  the  sequel  of  which  might 
be  a  duel.  Already  he  had  four  of  these  un- 
fortunate affairs  of  honor,  so-called,  to  his 
account.  Also  Ivo  was  like  Felice  Cavalotti 
in  being  an  extreme  Republican,  and  an  ar- 
dent admirer  of  Mazzini.  For  a  Pope  he  cared 
as  little  as  the  loving,  amiable  Raphael  cared 
much. 

;<  Well,  there's  a  chance  that  Harriet  will  go 
to  her  place  of  business  to-day.  These  Ameri- 
cans never  let  anything  interfere  with  their 
devotion  to  Mammon." 

So  saying,  he  hurriedly  put  on  his  overcoat, 
jammed  his  hat  over  his  eyes,  took  his  gloves 
in  his  hand, — feeling  unequal  to  putting  them 
on, — and  soon  found  his  way  to  the  street. 
He  had  gone  but  a  short  distance,  however, 
before  he  felt  extremely  ill.  There  seemed  to 
be  plenty  of  air  for  Americans,  to  judge  by 
the  swift  way  they  moved  about,  but  none  for 
him.  He  hurriedly  pulled  off  his  hat  and 
fanned  himself  with  it.  All  to  no  purpose. 


100    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

He  staggered  a  few  steps  and  soon  had  fallen 
heavily  on  the  sidewalk.  A  crowd  quickly 
gathered  about  the  prostrate,  unconscious  man, 
and  many  were  the  exclamations  and  comments 
before  his  body  could  be  removed  to  a  hospital. 

"  He's  dead  drunk,  sure ! "  mumbled  a  blear- 
eyed,  frowz^y-looking,  red-nosed  devotee  of 
King  Alcohol. 

"Worse  than  dead  drunk — dead!  See  the 
blood  oozing  from  the  cut  in  his  temple!  "  com- 
mented a  young  girl  with  a  look  of  awe  on  her 
sweet  face. 

"  What  have  we  here?  A  Greek  god  tumbled 
off  his  pedestal? "  superciliously  queried  a  dan- 
dified-looking youth  drawing  near. 

"Looks  like  it!  Gad!  he  is  a  handsome 
chap,"  said  another  young  fellow.  "  I  wonder 
where  he's  from,  and  where  he  got  all  that 
hair.  I'll  bet  he's  one  of  those  foreign  piano- 
playing  fellows!  They  always  have  hair  to 
beat  the  band — or,  rather,  to  make  the  piano 
do  terrific,  hair-raising  stunts.  I  suppose  their 
strength  comes  to  them  via  their  hair,  like 
Samson's  did." 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    101 

Here  spoke  up  an  Italian,  shaking  his  head 
sadly  as  he  remarked,  "  Dead  on  American 
liquor — a  poisonous  compound.  Dio  mio! 
Our  Consul  ought  to  see  that  every  Italian  gets 
a  proper  warning  about  the  liquor  they  sell 
here.  This  makes  the  fourth  Italian  dead  in 
a  week  from  poisonous  American  drugs  they 
call  whisky." 

"  Tis  a  murder! "  solemnly  asserted  a  thin, 
wiry-looking  man  in  an  emotional  manner. 
"  Somebody's  knocked  him  on  the  head — and 
such  a  handsome  head,  too.  Doubtless  there's 
a  woman  at  the  bottom  of  this  mess.  D — n 
'em!" 

"  Poor  man ! "  sighed  a  tender  New  England 
spinster,  as  she  walked  bravely  up  to  the 
bloody,  prostrate  man,  and  softly  raising  his 
head,  put  her  warm  fur  muff  beneath  it.  The 
weather  was  bitterly  cold,  the  pavement  icy. 
She  had  scarcely  finished  her  act  of  mercy 
when  an  ambulance  was  driven  up  and  some 
men  alighted.  Next  the  apparently  lifeless 
body,  prone  on  the  sidewalk,  was  quickly  de- 
posited therein,  after  which  the  door  of  the 


102    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

ambulance  was  slammed  shut,  the  horses  started 
off  on  a  gallop,  and  the  crowd  dispersed  as 
quickly  as  it  had  gathered. 

Poor  Ivo!  It  has  been  said  with  truth, 
"  Plump  a  man  down  in  the  middle  of  New 
York,  and  a  great  bewilderment  comes  over 
him.  He  feels  that  he  has  somehow  got  out  of 
a  snug  little  corner  into  a  great  whirl  that  be- 
wilders him,  and  makes  him  dizzy.  He  is 
uneasily  conscious  that  he  has  been  dwarfed 
to  a  mere  atom;  his  complacency  vanishes;  he 
knows  that  his  importance  has  shrunk  into 
nothingness,  and  he  doesn't  like  it.  He  re- 
sembles a  small  mouse  that  has  crept  timidly 
out  into  a  vast  hall,  and  then,  appalled  by  the 
unwonted  vista,  scuds  back  to  its  hole  with 
squeaks  of  genuine  dismay." 

However,  the  New  York  which  had  helped 
to  befuddle  and  bewilder  "  Count  Bruno,  of 
Rome,"  was  far  less  noisy  and  bewildering 
than  the  New  York  of  to-day.  At  that  time 
she  had  a  population  of  not  more  than  two 
millions;  if,  indeed,  a  true  count  could  bring 
her  within  measurable  distance  of  that  number. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    103 

She  classed  herself  rather  timidly  with  the 
great  capitals  of  the  Old  World.  More 
timidly  still  did  the  New  York  of  1892  dis- 
cuss the  idea,  broached  by  a  few  daring 
spirits — that  of  swallowing  her  nearest  neigh- 
bors !  One  very  earnest  soul,  who  to-day  would 
pose  as  a  very  modest  one,  asserted  that  any 
movement  toward  consolidation  should  come 
from  the  neighbors  themselves ;  and  that  up  to 
date  they  had  shown  no  desire  in  that  direc- 
tion. This  modest  person  even  went  so  far 
as  to  affirm  that  the  proposed  union  was  merely 
the  "  fad  "  of  a  few  men  fond  of  publicity  and 
ambitious  of  posing  as  benefactors  of  their 
generation!  Of  course  there  were  the  usual 
number  of  seers  to  declare  the  project  "not 
practical." 

How  exploded  these  ideas  in  the  year  of 
1908-9,  after  the  "  fad  "  of  consolidation  with 
neighbors,  big  and  little,  on  the  part  of  New 
York  has  become  so  thoroughly  practical  that 
any  opposition  has  long  since  been  forgotten! 
Now  that  America's  metropolis  has  nearly 
doubled  her  two  millions  of  inhabitants,  all 


104    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

her  modest  citizens  are  dead.  Ask  a  New 
Yorker  to-day  how  big  he  thinks  New  York 
will  eventually  be,  and  he  answers  without 
hesitation,  "  Thirty  or  forty  millions,  perhaps." 
Notwithstanding  New  York's  marvelous 
growth  in  the  past  and  her  big  expectations 
in  the  future,  she  yet  has  a  thorn  in  her  side, 
called  Chicago — in  spite  of  the  fact  that  Chi- 
cago, up  to  date,  numbers  no  more  than 
1,982,000.  Ah,  but  the  prophet  is  always  with 
us,  and  while  we  pooh !  contemptuously  at  what 
he  says,  he  makes  the  thorn  in  the  side  of  an 
ambitious  New  Yorker  rankle,  especially  when 
he  affirms  so  stoutly:  "  Some  day — and  that 
period  is  not  far  distant — whin  Chicago  will 
rank  ahead  of  New  York  and  London.  Chi- 
cago is  located  in  the  very  heart  of  the  nation. 
It  is  the  natural  marketing  place  for  food- 
stuff; the  territory  belonging  to  the  city  pro- 
duces more  grain  than  the  balance  of  the 
world  combined;  Chicago's  climate  is  not  very 
severe;  once  on  a  level  with  the  lake,  the  city 
now  rests  high  above  it;  that  is  the  result  of 
energy,  and  it  is  energy  that  is  going  to  make 
Chicago  the  world's  chief  city.  There  is  little 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    105 

doubt  that  in  another  decade  Chicago  will  be 
sending  ships  to  the  great  oceans  by  way  of  the 
Mississippi  River  to  the  south,  and  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  east.  Long  ago  her  mer- 
chants began  taking  away  from  New  York 
much  of  the  business  going  to  Mexico,  the 
Central  American  republics  and  Cuba;  they 
are  now  reaching  out  for  the  Oriental  trade; 
New  York  and  London  had  better  look 
ahead!" 

Having  listened  thus  far,  the  New  Yorker 
with  the  thorn  rankling  sore  in  his  side  turns 
away  muttering,  "The  devil  take  Chicago!" 

But  later  in  the  day  his  heart  is  cheered 
by  some  school-children  singing  joyously 
verses  by  Ida  Prinhoff  about  his  "  dear  little 
old  New  York": 

To  thee,  first  city  of  our  land, 

With  hearts  and  voices  blending, 
We  raise  a  loyal  song  of  praise, 

In  strains  of  love  unending. 
We  praise  thy  harbors,  and  thy  ships, 

Thy  bays  renowned  for  beauty, 
Thy  parks  with  statues  bravely  decked, 

To  tell  of  faith  and  duty. 


106    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

CHORUS 

New  York,  New  York,  our  city  loved, 

To  thee  in  praise  we  sing, 
Let  every  loyal  heart  and  voice 

Its  loving  tribute  bring. 

We  sing  the   praise  of  the   Dutchman's   day; 

We  chant  of  Englanding; 
We  tell  the  growth  of  wealth  and  trade 

And  freedom's  cause  unfolding. 
We  praise  thy  heroes,  dead  and  gone, 

We  praise  thy  heroes  living; 
We  rally  'round  each  patriot's  shrine, 

A  heartfelt  tribute  giving. 

[CHORUS 

Thy  civic  growth  we  praise  in  song, 

Our  joyous  voices  blending; 
We  pledge  our  hearts,  our  heads,  our  hands 

To  make  thy  growth  unending, 
And  may  thy  spirit  still  prove  true 

On  earthly  fields  victorious, — 
Still  fire  thy  sons  in  days  of  strife 

To  make  thy  banner  glorious! 

[CHORUS 


CHAPTER  VIII 


I  have  heard  the  statement  vouched  for  by 
very  eminent  ecclesiastics  of  the  Catholic 
Church — that,  even  in  the  cloister,  there  comes  a 
time  in  the  life  of  the  most  devout  religieuse 
when  she  finds  with  dismay  that  her  existence  is 
becoming  quite  intolerable,  when  her  best  loved 
duties  fail  to  interest  her,  and  when  a  mysteri- 
ous lassitude  creeps  over  her  mind  and  body. 
She,  in  her  innocence  and  inexperience,  does 
not  understand  its  meaning,  but  her  superiors 
do.  They  know  it  to  be  the  crise,  the  mighty 
instinct  of  womanhood  crying  out  within  her, 
and  they  dread  the  outcome;  for  with  many 
nuns  it  assumes  the  form  of  physical  decline 
and  ends  in  early  death. 

M.   HUYSMANS. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

'FTER  Harriet  had  posted  her  note 
to  her  lover,  acquainting  him  with 
the  fact  that  she  had  promised  her 
dying  father  never  to  marry,  she 
went  to  a  certain  room  in  which  were  hung  ex- 
quisitely finished  copies  of  some  of  Raphael's 
sweetest  madonnas,  together  with  a  wonder- 
fully exact  reproduction  of  his  "  The  Sposa- 
lizio,"  the  original  of  which,  painted  by  Ra- 
phael when  he  was  but  twenty-one,  proclaimed 
him  to  be  "  a  finished  painter."  Here  were 
also  fine  copies  of  madonnas  by  other  great 
masters. 

Harriet's  grief  since  her  father's  death  had 
been  of  the  dry-eyed  kind,  so  hard  to  bear,  and 
at  the  same  time  so  dangerous  to  health  and 
sanity.  Hitherto,  she  had  been  able  to  face 
life's  sorrows  with  calmness,  if  not  serenity; 
but  they  had  been  mere  scratches  and  simple 
bruises.  Not  until  now  had  she  faced  separa- 

109 


110    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

tion  from  a  beloved  person:  final  separation. 
Under  the  circumstances  to  be  obliged  to  give 
up  an  idolized  father  and  an  adored  lover  both 
at  the  same  time,  this,  one  must  admit,  was 
a  knockdown  blow  for  even  a  strong  and  brave 
woman. 

As  Harriet  entered  the  "  Madonna  Room," 
her  glance  fell  first  on  her  copy  of  the  paint- 
ing known  in  the  original  as  the  "Madonna 
della  Sedia,"  "  which  has  in  it  more  of  the  won- 
derful calm  that  environs  the  soul  of  a  child 
at  home  than  any  other  madonna  picture." 
Some  of  this  same  wonderful  calm  seemed  to 
steal  softly  into  poor  Harriet's  heart,  and  to 
sweetly  soothe  her  anguished  being  as  she  con- 
tinued to  gaze  first  upon  this  charming  ma- 
donna— whom  she  herself  resembled  later  on 
— and  whose  countenance  fairly  shone  with  the 
spirit  of  happy,  triumphant  motherhood — then 
at  her  child;  who  had  evidently  been  sleeping 
in  its  mother's  arms,  but  awakening  suddenly, 
opens  wide  its  eyes,  as  if  surprised  at  what  it 
sees  and  dimly  comprehends,  being  still  lost 
in  dreams. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    111 

Next,  her  glance  sought  the  "  Sposalizio." 
Ah,  that  picture !  how  it  recalled,  in  the  twink- 
ling of  an  eye,  the  many,  many  happy  dreams 
it  had  given  birth  to,  as  from  time  to  time 
her  glance  had  rested  upon  it — for  the  reason 
that  since  Harriet  had  parted  from  her  Italian 
lover,  she  had  seemed  to  see  Ivo  as  the  happy 
bridegroom,  instead  of  Joseph,  and  herself  as 
bride,  in  place  of  Mary.  Now  this  picture, 
bringing  back  so  poignantly  those  happy 
dreams  of  happier  days,  had  a  wonderful  ef- 
fect on  HarrieF's  imprisoned  tears:  of  their 
own  free  will  they  gushed  forth  from  some 
hidden  source,  some  hitherto  sealed  fountain, 
and  gratitude  filled  her  soul.  She  was  saved! 

Harriet  dropped  on  her  knees  beside  the  sofa 
underneath  this  picture — so  full  of  life,  love, 
artless  grace,  and  the  happy,  reposeful  spirit 
of  Raphael — and  lifted  up  her  heart  in  thanks- 
giving, an  easy  exercise  when  one's  parched 
soul  has  been  rejuvenated  by  gentle,  refresh- 
ing showers  of  tears. 

A  new  day  had  dawned  ere  Harriet  raised 
her  bowed  head  and  rose  from  her  knees.  Her 


112    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

countenance,  though  very  pale,  shone  with 
peace  and  with  a  determination  to  fill  the  place 
which  Duty  had  marked  out  for  her  unshrink- 
ingly and  with  serenity. 

Harriet  next  proceeded  to  make  a  careful 
toliette,  for  she  meant  to  surprise  her  "  Family 
of  Friends  "  by  acting  like  her  old  self  once 
more;  that  is,  bear  herself  as  her  father  had 
taught  her  to  be — strong,  brave,  level-headed, 
serene. 

Mr.  White's  "Family  of  Friends,"  now 
Harriet's,  had  been  her  father's  way  of  solv- 
ing his  servant's  problems,  which  for  fifteen 
consecutive  years  he  had  found  harder  to  handle 
than  his  multifarious  and  absorbing  business 
affairs. 

It  was  an  "  extra  good  cook  "  who  sharp- 
ened his  domestic  wits  to  that  extent  which 
enabled  Mr.  White  to  undertake  a  reform  in 
the  matter  of  housekeeping,  and  to  evolve  a 
real  home  for  all  concerned.  Although  the 
Irish  woman  could  really  cook  in  an  accom- 
plished manner,  having  been  trained  at  a  first- 
class  cooking-school,  she  yet  had  two  bad  traits 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    113 

of  character,  viz.,  a  vicious  temper  and  a  ten- 
dency to  an  occasional  spree.  When  in  her 
cups  Bridget  usually  had  the  good  sense  to  re- 
tire to  the  servants'  quarters,  giving  as  an  ex- 
cuse "  a  head  on  me  belike  to  burst."  On 
this  fateful  evening,  however,  she  had  not  done 
so  because  her  assistant  in  the  culinary  depart- 
ment "  had  no  head  at  all,"  according  to  Brid- 
get. So  it  happened  that  when  it  came  time 
to  carry  in  the  roast  goose,  she  gave  Nora  a 
kick  for  some  imagined  insult,  and  attempted 
to  perform  the  feat  herself.  Staggering  into 
the  dining-room,  where  Mr.  White,  his  daugh- 
ter, Harriet,  and  her  tutor  were  seated  at  the 
table  awaiting  a  change  of  plates,  she  at- 
tempted to  land  the  big,  heavily-loaded  plat- 
ter on  the  table  near  Mr.  White.  Instead  of 
doing  so,  at  the  critical  moment  her  knees 
weakened,  the  roast  goose  took  refuge  in  Mr. 
White's  lap,  while  Bridget  managed  to  keep 
herself  from  landing  on  the  floor  by  clutching 
at  his  sleeve. 

In  an  instant  Mr.  White  lost  his  temper — 
quite  a  necessary  thing  to  retain  in  dealing 


114    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

with  drunken  people  having  vicious  disposi- 
tions. He  said,  brutally,  his  eyes  flashing, 
"Take  yourself  off,  you  drunken  beast!" 
The  cook  silently  obeyed — in  order  that  she 
might  the  more  quickly  fill  her  capacious 
pockets  with  "  cooking  eggs,"  the  most  of 
which  had,  so  far,  turned  out  to  be  actually 
rotten.  The  belligerent  woman,  doubly 
"  loaded,"  was  now  quite  ready  to  attack  "  that 
baste  of  a  millionaire  and  give  'im  a  lisson." 
As  soon,  therefore,  as  she  caught  sight  of  the 
boss,  she  let  fly  an  egg  which  approved  itself 
quite  the  worse  for  storage — either  by  some 
deceived  hen  or  graft-seeking  person — for  it 
popped  with  a  loud  report  as  it  came  in  con- 
tact with  one  of  Mr.  White's  not  by  any  means 
calm,  placid  orbs.  The  battle  was  now  on  in 
dead  earnest,  Mr.  White  being  as  determined 
to  give  Bridget  "  an  experience  she  would  not 
forget  to  her  dying  day,"  as  Bridget  was  set 
on  giving  "  that  baste  of  a  millionaire  a  lisson." 
As  soon  as  Mr.  White  could  see  once  more,  he 
remained  in  the  dining-room  just  long  enough 
to  arm  himself  with  the  carving  knife  and  to 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    115 

say  to  Harriet's  tutor,  "  Get  me  my  pistol." 
Then  he  rushed  after  the  cook,  who,  meanwhile, 
had  jet  fly  two  more  eggs  of  doubtful  goodness, 
one  of  which  had  landed  on  the  back  of  his 
head  and  the  other  on  his  white  collar.  When 
Bridget  saw  Mr.  White  pursuing  her  with  a 
long,  sharp  knife,  she  gave  a  yell  that  brought 
every  servant  in  the  house  quickly  within  eye 
range  of  the  two  flying  combatants.  They 
found  it  impossible  not  to  scream  with  merri- 
ment as  they  saw  their  dignified  "  Boss  " — 
head  yellow  with  egg — armed  with  a  carving 
knife,  the  front  of  his  trousers  slimy  with 
goose  gravy,  and  the  rest  of  him — clothes  and 
boots — besmirched  with  bad  egg  debri&rushing 
upstairs  and  down  after  the  egg-armed, 
drunken  Bridget,  who,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  she  was  "  loaded,"  seemed  to  defy  a 
close  attack  by  landing  an  egg  at  the  right  mo- 
ment and  at  the  right  spot,  preferably  an  eye 
already  the  worse  for  ( egg )  wear.  What  Brid- 
get hoped  to  be  able  to  do,  now  that  Mr.  White 
had  got  his  "lisson,"  was  to  reach  her  room 
and  barricade  herself  within.  She  counted  on 


116    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

his  being  too  proud  to  call  in  a  policeman,  and 
once  behind  a  solid,  barred  door,  she  could 
hope  to  make  "  reasonable  terms,  bein'  as  she 
was  a  cook  in  a  thousand." 

On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  White  was  quite  as 
determined  that  Bridget  Murphy  should  never 
remain  another  night  in  his  house.  Conse- 
quently, he  pursued  her  perseveringly,  all 
lathered  with  gravy  and  battered  with  egg 
from  top  to  toe  as  he  was,  cleverly  heading 
her  off  from  her  attempts  to  reach  the  serv- 
ants' quarters,  until  finally  she  managed  to 
reach  the  street  door.  Here  she  let_fly  a  couple 
of  eggs,  the  aim  of  which  was  so  clever  that 
she  was  enabled  to  unlock  it  and  reach  safety 
in  the  street  under  cover  of  darkness. 

By  this  time  Mr.  White's  pistol  was  placed 
in  his  hand  by  Harriet  herself,  who  thought 
all  danger  past  with  the  disappearance  of 
Bridget.  She  was  somewhat  mistaken,  for  her 
father,  looking  like  something  diabolical, 
made  himself  appear  still  more  formidable  by 
shouting,  as  he  held  the  pistol  cocked  in  his 
hand: 


AN  AMERICAN  MADONNA    117 

"Now,  every  servant  in  this  house  clear 
out  I  I  give  you  just  ten  minutes  to  put  your 
things  on  and  be  gone." 

Believing  that  the  boss  had  gone  "  clean 
crazy,"  they  lost  no  time  in  doing  as  they  were 
bid — and  wisely.  Had  they  tarried,  one  or 
more  might  have  carried  away  some  well-di- 
rected shot.  Meanwhile,  Harriet  and  her  tu- 
tor, whom  she  lovingly  called  "  Uncle  Jerry," 
his  real  name  being  Jeremiah  Jordan,  had  been 
employed  throwing  open  windows  and  doors. 
Next  they  set  themselves  to  remove  from  ele- 
gant, expensive  carpets,  from  rich  antique 
furniture,  from  fine  paintings,  from  cherished 
heirlooms,  egg  debris,  of  which  there  seemed 
no  end,  the  cook's  pockets  having  been  capa- 
cious and  her  aim  multitudinous,  i 

At  this  time  Harriet  was  a  miss  of  fifteen, 
and  though  she  felt  "  so  sorry  for  poor  papa," 
she  found  it  impossible  not  to  laugh  when  an 
egg  popped  louder  than  usual.  As  for  timid 
Jeremiah  Jordan,  as  perfect  a  bookworm  as 
ever  lived,  he,  early  in  the  fray,  betook  him- 
self to  his  private  library,  where  he  securely 


118    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

locked  himself  in  with  his  beloved  books.  Not 
until  Harriet  came  to  his  door  and  announced 
that  the  last  departing  giggling  servant  was 
locked  out  of  the  house,  did  he  dare  show  him- 
self; and  then  in  his  most  worn  suit  of  clothes. 
Had  the  cook  but  tossed  an  egg  at  one  of  his 
books — as  she  had  flung  many  a  one  at  Mr. 
White — he  would  have  collapsed. 

As  for  John  W.  White,  millionaire,  he  lost 
no  time  in  seeking  his  bathroom  with  fresh 
linen,  a  different  pair  of  trousers,  a  spotless 
vest,  another  necktie  and  a  dressing-gown. 
Never  before  had  he  remained  locked  fast  in 
this  narrow  room  so  long  as  on  this  occasion, 
and  never  before  had  he  reappeared  looking 
so  thoroughly  depressed,  so  abjectly  wilted. 
True,  he  permitted  Harriet  to  lead  him  to  a 
well-prepared  midnight  lunch;  but  he  sat  in 
his  seat  oblivious  of  outside  matters.  Indeed, 
so  profound  were  his  cogitations,  that  Harriet 
and  her  Uncle  Jerry,  fearing  to  disturb  him, 
either  talked  low  or  not  at  all. 

That  night  John  W.  White,  millionaire, 
solved  his  servant  problem. 


CHAPTER   IX 


Recall  the  best  of  the  "  good  times  "  that  you 
have  had  in  any  company.  If  you  will  carefully 
consider  the  secret  of  that  golden  hour — the 
secret  of  the  most  delightful  good  fellowship 
that  you  ever  enjoyed  in  your  life — you  mill 
find  that  it  lay  in  the  fact  that  all  the  members 
of  your  pleasure  party  met  on  a  footing  of 
absolute  equality.  Nobody  patronized  or  con- 
descended, and  no  one  fanned  or  flattered;  but 
each  felt  that  he  gave  to  the  company  precisely 
as  much  as  he  took  away.  "  In  good  company," 
says  a  famous  writer  on  manners,  "  everybody 
is  of  the  same  age." 

CHARLES  FERGUSON  in  The  American. 


CHAPTER    IX 

BOW  did  Mr.  White  solve  his  servant 
problem?  In  the  simplest  manner. 
Having  rid  his  house  of  every  serv- 
ant by  the  aid  of  a  cocked  pistol, 
and  while  presenting  an  appearance  more  yel- 
low and  sensational  than  any  pictures  our  yel- 
low press  can  hope  to  produce,  he  refused 
to  take  back  any  of  the  old,  or  to  employ 
fresh  ones.  Because,  while  wrestling  with 
a  question  that,  like  Banquo's  ghost,  had  re- 
fused to  be  laid  ever  since  his  first  marriage,  a 
happy  thought  struck  him  which  he  hoped  to 
be  able  to  make  practical.  It  was  this :  Why 
not  evolve  a  real  home,  employing  equals  to 
assist,  instead  of  trying  to  maintain  a  petty 
kind  of  aristocracy,  as  heretofore? 

But  who  would  co-operate  with  him  in  this 
home  project?  In  imagination  he  scanned  all 
the  intelligent,  highly  educated,  independent 
women  he  knew.  One  by  one  they  were  re- 

181 


122    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

jected  as  having  some  characteristic  or  incom- 
patibility of  taste  or  temper  which  made  them 
ineligible  for  such  an  enterprise,  the  chief  ob- 
jection being  that  they  were  not  of  a  domestic 
turn:  did  not  love  home  duties. 

It  was  just  when  Mr.  White  was  at  his  wits' 
end  that  he  said  suddenly,  "  The  Twins !  What 

J  * 

is  the  matter  with  them?  " 

In  his  mind's  eye  he  reviewed  their  past.  He 
first  saw  them  as  tiny  maids,  being  reared  in 
the  sweetest,  neatest,  prettiest,  and  most  home- 
like of  homes  he  ever  remembered  to  have 
visited,  either  as  boy  or  man.  He  recalled  how 
awkward  he  had  been  during  his  first  visit  to 
their  brother  "  Jim  " ;  how  he  had  persisted  in 
calling  Celia  "  Delia,"  and  Delia  "  Celia,"  and 
all  because  they  were  dressed  just  alike,  and 
he  was  too  bashful  to  really  look  at  either  of 
them.  He  saw  them  again  when  they  grad- 
uated, and  again  he  blundered,  calling  Celia 
"  Delia,"  and  Delia  "  Celia,"  as  before !  How 
stupid  they  must  think  him!  He  was  at  that 
time,  however,  making  money  hand  over  fist, 
in  "  little  old  New  York,"  proving  that  he  was 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    123 

not  exactly  stupid  in  America's  great  game  of 
money-making. 

The  next  time  Mr.  White  saw  "  The  Twins  " 
was  when  they  came  to  his  central  place  of 
business.  They  were  dressed  in  deep  mourn- 
ing, and  their  visit  had  to  do  with  money :  how 
best  to  invest  some  inherited  from  their  father's 
estate.  Mr.  White  gave  them  excellent  finan- 
cial advice,  and  on  this  visit  was  able  to  clearly 
distinguish  which  was  Celia  and  which  Delia — 
for  Celia  was  thin  and  her  features  were  drawn 
and  haggard :  she  looked  prematurely  the  New 
England  spinster,  tall,  angular,  gaunt,  but 
neat,  pensive,  reticent — while  her  sister  had  a 
good  color,  and  was  optimistic,  wide-awake, 
and  her  muscular  frame  was  comfortably 
cushioned  with  flesh. 

As  Mr.  White  bowed  the  sisters  out,  he  said 
to  himself,  "  I'll  warrant  that  Celia  Taylor 
has  been  going  through  Love's  threshing  ma- 
chine at  a  lively  pace,  judging  by  her  looks. 
I  must  make  inquiries." 

He  did  so,  and  learned  that  the  day  previ- 
ous to  the  one  on  which  she  was  to  be  wed, 


124    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

Celia  had  been  so  trustful  as  to  hand  all  her 
savings  as  a  teacher  in  a  young  woman's  col- 
lege to  her  lover  for  reinvestment.  He  knew 
of  some  New  York  real  estate  which,  promptly 
secured  by  the  sum  she  possessed,  would,  in 
no  long  time,  be  very  valuable.  Poor  Celia! 
She  never  saw  her  lover  again.  As  for  her 
tidy  nest-egg,  honestly  earned  and  saved  with 
wonderful  self-denial,  that  too  disappeared  for 
good,  Celia  Taylor  being  too  proud  to  attempt 
to  locate  either  absconding  lover,  or  to  get  back 
again  the  money  which  proved  his  ruin. 

But  while  she  made  no  outward  demonstra- 
tion of  the  woe  that  had  overtaken  her,  she 
grew  thin,  became  absent-minded,  and  per- 
formed her  duties  as  a  teacher  perfunctorily. 
Day  by  day  life  became  a  great  burden.  Often 
while  alone  she  sighed  and  wished  she  could 
hide  away  in  some  lonely  retreat  where  young 
eyes  could  not  follow  her,  or  curious  tongues 
question  her,  or  anxious  friends  torment  her 
with  well-meaning  but  utterly  useless  advice. 
She  thought  of  suicide,  but  hesitated  to  go 
hence  before  she  was  called.  Then,  too,  she 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    125 

must  not  leave  a  heritage  of  woe  for  her  twin 
sister  to  bear;  and  so  Celia  kept  on  teaching 
and  growing  thinner  and  sadder  day  by  day. 

Her  sister,  Delia,  meanwhile  was  being 
courted  by  a  millionaire,  twice  her  age.  She 
had  long  been  intimate  with  the  millionaire's 
wife;  often,  with  Celia,  spending  happy  vaca- 
tions with  her.  At  length  the  wife  died,  after 
living  with  her  husband  an  ideal  married  life 
for  many  years.  The  poor  bereft  husband 
knew  not  how  to  face  life — alone!  True,  he 
had  married  children;  but  their  own  affairs, 
domestic,  social,  and  financial,  absorbed  and 
filled  their  lives.  The  old  millionaire  got  to 
calling  around  occasionally  at  the  boarding- 
house  of  the  Twins.  Here  Miss  Delia  was  al- 
ways ready  to  entertain  him  and  make  him  feel 
more  like  himself;  make  him  feel  that  life  was 
still  worth  living.  In  due  time  he  proposed 
and  was  accepted.  Together  they  planned  a 
wedding  tour  around  the  world,  which  was  to 
include  poor  Celia. 

But  before  the  day  set  for  their  marriage  ar- 
rived, Delia  was  shocked  to  learn  that  her  lover 


126    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

had  been  cruelly  murdered  by  one  of  his  sons, 
who,  "  in  his  cups,"  had  become  obsessed  with 
the  idea  that  his  mother's  memory  must  not 
be  disgraced  by  the  marriage  of  her  husband  to 
a  woman  half  his  age. 

It  was  now  Delia's  turn  to  sigh  for  some 
dear,  quiet  spot  where  she  and  her  equally  un- 
fortunate sister  could  hide  away  from  curious 
eyes,  and  too  often  cold  hearts,  and  endeavor 
to  resurrect  their  happier  selves. 

Accordingly,  when  Mr.  White  made  his  call 
upon  the  Twins,  they  were  quite  ready  to  lis- 
ten to  his  scheme  of  making  a  home  with  in- 
telligent, highly  educated,  conscientious,  home- 
loving  people  as  assistants  and  co-workers. 
But  before  deciding,  many  questions  were 
asked. 

"  What  sort  of  a  man  is  Jeremiah  Jordan, 
who,  it  appears,  is  already  a  member  of  your 
household? "  asked  Delia. 

"Pooh!  he's  nobody  1"  said  Mr.  White  un- 
guardedly. 

The  sisters  smiled,  recalling  that  Mr.  White 
had  just  said  the  proposed  home-builders  were 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    127 

to  be  "intelligent,  highly  educated,  conscien- 
tious and  home-loving  people." 

Celia  remarked  laughingly,  "  It  appears  we 
are  to  have  a  fool  to  afford  us  relaxation." 

"  Beg  pardon !  Jeremiah  Jordan  is  nobody's 
fool.  He  is  a  very  learned  man.  When  I 
said,  '  he's  a  nobody,'  I  meant  to  give  the  im- 
pression that  he  is  quite  a  harmless  creature,  so 
far  as  women  are  concerned.  Probably  a  year 
will  pass  before  he  will  get  up  the  courage  to 
look  either  one  of  you  in  the  face  without 
trembling." 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  him? "  both 
sisters  asked  together,  being  now  quite  inter- 
ested, and  wondering  what  sort  of  a  man  this 
Jeremiah  Jordan  could  be, — afraid  to  look  at 
two  plain  women,  like  themselves. 

"  Oh,  his  wife  some  time  ago  put  him 
through  the  divorce  mill,  claiming  that  he 
looked  too  often  upon  the  rosy  cheeks  of  the 
soprano  singer  in  his  choir.  Since  that  time 
he  has  never,  I  think,  really  looked  at  any 
woman! " 

"Was  he  really  guilty — a  minister  of  the 


128    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

blessed  Gospel? "  asked  Delia,  with  a  look  of 
awe  on  her  face. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  His  wife  tired  of  being  the 
consort  of  a  poorly  paid  minister.  As  a 
very  pretty  woman,  she  easily  got  a  rich  bach- 
elor friend  of  her  husband's  infatuated  with 
her  charms.  The  rest  was  easy — to  secure  a 
divorce  by  the  aid  of  the  bachelor's  money." 

"What  became  of  her?" 

"  Oh,  in  less  than  a  year  after  she  had  got 
her  decree,  the  bachelor  was  no  longer  a  bach- 
elor, while  she  herself  was  a  second  time  a 
bride,  this  time  with  a  wardrobe  fit  for  a 
princess." 

"Of  course  his  career  as  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  was  ruined,"  said  the  sad  Celia. 

'  To  be  sure ;  but  what  does  that  matter, 
provided  a  woman  can  get  an  unlimited  supply 
of  clothes?" 

"  How  you  talk!  So  this  poor  Jeremiah  is 
to  be  one  of  our  home-builders!  And  you 
think  him  a  harmless  man?" 

"  Quite  so !  having  transmuted  his  affection 
for  human  beings  into  a  passion  for  books  and 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    129 

book  lore!  True,  he  is  fond  of  his  pupil, 
Harriet,  and  goes  to  no  end  of  trouble  to  con- 
dense for  her  use  voluminous  old  books  con- 
taining a  few  kernels  of  sound  wisdom  in  a 
bushel  of  chaff.  Oh,  yes,  he  is  accommodating 
with  everybody.  He  will  do  chores  for  you — 
a  reasonable  amount — accompany  you  and 
your  sister  to  the  opera,  theater,  concert  hall 
or  church — evening  service — when  you  need  a 
male  escort.  He  has  even  made  a  tour  of  the 
world,  to  please  Harriet  and  myself.  We 
thought  he  needed  a  change,  so  we  insisted 
that  he  accompany  us.  Of  course  we  made  it 
appear  that  we  needed  his  services — else  he 
would  never  have  left  his  beloved  books  to 
the  care  of  servants  for  three  whole  months." 

"  How  will  your  young  daughter  like  the 
new  arrangement? " 

"  She  will  like  anything  that  pleases  me.  My 
Harriet  is  the  best  trained  girl  you  ever  saw. 
I  raised  her  alone,  you  might  say;  and  to  edu- 
cate her  properly,  I  had  first  to  educate  my- 
self. A  hundred  books  at  least  I  have  pored 
over  to  get  ideas — scientific  ones — as  to  the 


130    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

best  way  to  evolve  and  train  that  mysterious 
thing  called  the  intellect,  and  that — I  some- 
times think — more  mysterious  thing,  the  hu- 
man body,  because  if  one  mismanages  the  de- 
velopment of  the  latter,  so  that  instead  of  ob- 
taining a  normal  growth,  we  have  an  abnormal 
one — then  look  out !  the  devil's  to  pay,  usually. 
Well,  think  the  matter  over.  I  will  only  stipu- 
late that  our  home  is  not  to  have  any  servants 
in  it  when  I  am  in  it.  Get  experts  to  thoroughly 
renovate  the  house  every  week,  but  throw  them 
out  before  I  get  home  at  night,  so  that  we 
can  dine  in  peace  and  say  anything  we  like,  and 
feel  that  we  are  all  of  an  age,  all  friends ;  and, 
for  Heaven's  sake,  give  us  plain,  easily  di- 
gested food !  Put  it  all  on  the  table  at  once,  so 
that  when  we  are  seated,  we  can  undisturbed 
leisurely  chew  our  food  and  undisturbed  enjoy 
the  delights  of  that  sort  of  conversation  only 
to  be  had  among  equals." 

Having  so  spoken,  Mr.  White  bade  the 
Twins  adieu.  In  a  few  days  Mr.  White  got 
the  answer  he  wanted  and  never  regretted. 
He  often  declared  that  his  last  years  were  his 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA    131 

best,  his  happiest  years,  and  when  he  "  passed 
on,"  ten  years  later,  he  left  a  handsome  bequest 
to  each  member  of  his  Family  of  Friends. 
This,  in  addition,  of  course,  to  the  prompt 
payment  of  handsome  salaries  while  living. 
No  close  "  living- wage  "  employer  was  Mil- 
lionaire John  W.  White. 


CHAPTER   X 


Southern  simplicity  carried  to  its  ultimate 
expression,  leads  not  uncommonly  to  startling 
results;  for  it  is  not  generally  a  satisfaction  to 
an  Italian  to  be  paid  a  sum  of  money  as  dam- 
ages for  an  injury  done.  When  his  enemy  has 
harmed  him,  he  desires  the  simple  retribution 
of  putting  him  to  death,  and  he  frequently  ex- 
acts it  by  any  means  he  finds  ready  to  hand. 
Being  simple,  he  reflects  little,  and  often  acts 
with  violence.  The  Northern  mind,  capable  of 
vast  intricacy  of  thought,  seeks  to  combine  re- 
venge of  injury  with  personal  profit,  and  in 
a  spirit  of  cold,  far-sighted  calculation,  reckons 
up  the  advantages  to  be  got  by  sacrificing  an 
innate  desire  for  blood  to  a  civilized  greed  of 
money. 

Dr.  Johnson  would  have  liked  the  Romans 
— for  in  general  they  are  good  lovers  and  good 
haters,  whatever  faults  they  may  have. 

MARION  CRAWFORD. 


CHAPTER  X 

IN  addition  to  Mr.  White's  "  Family 
of  Friends,"  embracing  the  Twins, 
Jeremiah  Jordan  and  Harriet — the 
latter  now  approaching  the  break- 
fast table — there  were  present  this  morning 
two  other  individuals,  a  handsome  young 
woman  being  one,  whose  father  was  a  Hebrew, 
while  her  mother  claimed  English  descent. 
There  was  nothing  in  the  appearance  of  this 
highly-vitalized,  dark-haired,  robust  maiden, 
not  yet  out  of  her  teens,  to  indicate  that  her  ex- 
traction was  other  than  that  which  has  given 
us  our  biblical  heroes  and  heroines;  also  our 
devil.  In  the  White  Family  of  Friends  she 
was  but  a  passing  guest,  though,  being  related 
to  the  Twins,  and  being  also  efa  very  ener-  Cf 
getic,  let-me-help-you  kind  of  person,  she  was 
ever  ready  to  do  a  good  turn,  and  particularly 
so  while  the  White  family  was  so  worn  with 

135 


136    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

grief.  Hence  the  presence  of  sweet  Lucy 
Myers. 

The  other  person  present  might  almost  be 
considered  a  member  of  the  White  Family  of 
Friends,  for  he  had  filled  the  place  of  manager 
in  Mr.  White's  business  affairs  for  some  years, 
and  was  on  such  terms  of  intimacy  with  his 
employer  and  Harriet,  that  a  plate  at  the  table 
was  always  laid  for  him  and  a  charming  room 
ever  at  his  command.  His  real  name  was 
William  Watterson  Brown ;  but  to  Mr.  White 
he  had  long  been  "  Bill,"  to  Harriet  "  Uncle 
Billy,"  while  the  Twins  and  Jeremiah  cere- 
moniously spoke  of  him — or  addressed  him — as 
"Mr.  Brown." 

In  appearance  Mr.  Brown  looked  wonder- 
fully like  President  Taft.  He  was  built  after 
the  same  generous  pattern — his  smile  being 
quite  as  ready,  broad  and  genial.  "  Bill " 
could  do  a  prodigious  amount  of  work,  smiling 
all  the  time.  Perhaps  that  is  the  reason,  though 
he  attributed  it  to  the  fact  that  he  lived  the 
life  of  a  sensible  man  after  he  had  locked  the 
door  of  his  counting-room  at  close  of  day.  Mr. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    137 

Brown  had  no  end  of  funny  stories  and  jokes 
in  his  repertoire,  but  there  was  one  he  always 
told  with  lively  zest.  Of  course  he  was  the 
young  hero  of  his  tale,  which  he  never  related 
without  wondering  how  he  ever  got  the  courage 
to  do  it. 

It  seems  that  a  couple  of  his  boy  friends 
dared  him  to  kiss  some  girls  on  their  way  home 
from  school  in  the  big  city  of  New  York. 
They  assured  him  that  each  of  them  would, 
afterwards,  kiss  two  to  his  one.  Billy  Brown 
well  knew  that  he  had  the  name  of  being  the 
most  bashful  boy  in  his  school,  and  he  had 
meant  for  some  time  to  retrieve  his  character 
in  this  respect;  so  he  replied  bravely: 

"Agreed!"  and  took  his  stand  where  some 
of  the  prettiest  girls  must  presently  pass.  Up 
came  a  dimple  of  a  maiden.  Billy  kissed  her 
so  quick  that  she  did  not  have  time  to  blush, 
much  less  protest.  The  next  to  come  his  way 
was  a  petite  blonde,  called  "  Spitfire."  But 
he  kissed  her  just  the  same,  and  got^sjritjm 
for  his  pains.  Here  he  weakened  somewhat 
and  took  counsel  with  himself  as  to  whether 


138    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

he  should  now  stop  or  make  a  good  kissing 
record  while  he  was  about  it.  He  concluded 
to  go  on,  notwithstanding  the  next  girl  loomed 
up  a  head  higher  than  himself  and  was  dressed 
to  kill.  Of  course  she  slapped  him  for  all  she 
was  worth,  then  passed  around  the  corner.  A 
whole  bunch  of  girls  came  next.  Billy  kissed 
them  double  quick.  Every  one  screamed  to 
beat  the^  band  and  ran  away,  but,  quite  un- 
daunted, Billy  turned  to  kiss  the  next — or  a 
bunch — having  by  this  time  got  well  broken 
in.  But,  alas,  the  next  was  Retribution,  wear- 
ing the  form  and  features  of  his  teacher.  He 
felt  himself  taken  by  the  nape  of  the  neck  or 
the  collar  of  his  coat,  he  could  never  remember 
which,  for  his  brains  were  so  befuddled  by  the 
shaking  that  followed,  that  it  was  not  easy  for 
him  to  clearly  recall  anything  that  happened 
for  a  week  afterwards.  Billy  Brown  always 
finished  his  kissing  tale  by  solemnly  affirming 
that,  with  the  exception  of  blood  relations,  he 
had  never  kissed  girl  or  woman  from  that  day 
to  this!  Hisses  and  groans  on  the  part  of  the 
men  often  followed  this  assertion,  and  weak 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    139 

applause  on  the  part  of  the  women,  though 
sometimes,  to  punish  him,  an  audacious  woman 
would  make  a  rush  for  his  big  head,  throw 
her  arms  about  the  strong  neck,  and  give  him 
a  half  a  dozen  loud  smacks,  pretending  when 
she  was  through  that  they  came  from  Billy 
Brown,  who  was  practicing  his  old  kissing 
stunt ;  and  then  ready  to  pose  as  a  saint !  Billy 
Brown  would  make  the  neat  reply  that  he 
didn't  care  what  he  was  accused  of — just  so  he 
got  the  kisses! 

Yes,  Billy  Brown  was  a  bachelor  of  the 
type  whom  all  women  like,  and  feel  perfectly 
at  home  with.  Why  had  he  never  married? 
No  one  knew  precisely,  but  there  was  a  per- 
sistent rumor  to  the  effect  that  at  an  early 
date  he  had  had  a  love-affair  which  prema- 
turely closed  much  like  that  of  Washington 
Irving's. 

That  Billy  Brown  had  a  tender  heart  may 
be  infefred  from  his  remarks  in  respect  to 
Harriet  before  her  tardy  entrance  into  the 
dining-room  for  breakfast  on  the  morning 
after  her  night  vigil  in  the  Madonna  Room. 


140    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

He  said  in  that  emphatic  way  of  his  when 
deeply  in  earnest: 

"  I  say  a  woman  ought  to  be  permitted  to 
cry  whenever  she  feels  like  it.  Tears  are  a 
woman's  safety-valve.  I've  told  White  many 
a  time  he  had  no  right  to  make  a  business 
stoic  out  of  his  Harriet — or  any  other  woman : 
that  what  we  needed  in  our  business  grind  of 
to-day  was  an  infusion  of  the  spirit  of  Chiv- 
alry, turning  it  into  Romance,  and  that  we 
could  not  get  it  so  long  as  we  demand  of 
woman  machine-like  docility,  refuse  her  a  liv- 
ing wage,  and  murder  her  ideals  by  playing 
the  part  of  beast  to  her." 

Before  any  one  could  reply  to  this  long 
speech — for  Billy — Harriet  stepped  in  and 
after  greeting  each  member  with  her  usual 
smile  and  nod,  took  her  seat.  All  felt  an  im- 
mense relief  to  see  her  seated  at  her  regular 
place  at  the  table  once  more ;  the  first  time  for 
a  month. 

"My  dear,  dear  Boss,"  said  Billy  Brown, 
laying  his  big,  fat  palm  on  hers,  "  you  are  bet- 
ter. Thank  God!" 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA    141 

"Yes,"  replied  Harriet,  returning  his  look 
of  intermingled  affection  and  anxiety  with  a 
brave  one,  "  Divine  Compassion  has  replaced 
my  heart  of  stone  with  one  of  flesh.  I  am  all 
right." 

"Thank  Heaven  I"  ejaculated  Delia.  "I 
feared — I  know  not  what.  You  have  been  so 
unlike  yourself  since  the  death  of  your  father. 
It  is  a  sane  admonition,  *  Little  children,  keep 
yourselves  from  idols.' ' 

Harriet  said  nothing  for  a  moment,  and 
then  with  a  meditative  air  murmured,  "Wise 
Aunt  Delia,  what  you  say  is  true ;  and,  perhaps, 
now  that  I  have  less  temptation  to  break  so 
excellent  a  biblical  command,  I  may  be  able  to 
keep  it.  By  the  way,  what  is  in  the  morning 
papers — any  new  mysterious  murder  been  per- 
petrated— or  spicy  love  letters — or  a  divorce 
scandal  that  promises  to  be  remunerative  to  all 
but  the  moneyed  victim? "  asked  Harriet,  try- 
ing to  be  cheerful. 

"  No,"  sighed,-  rather  than  spoke  Celia.  She 
was  not  only  a  newspaper  fiend,  but  a  yellow 
press  fiend.  No  divorce  scandal,  no  matrimo- 


142    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

nial  mix-up,  no  blood-curdling  murder,  em- 
bracing columns  set  up  in  blurred,  small  type, 
was  ever  too  formidable  for  her  to  begin  and 
read  conscientiously  to  the  very  end,  court  pro- 
ceedings and  all. 

It  was  Billy  Brown  who  said,  with  some 
hesitation,  "  I  don't  know  whether  I  ought  to 

mention  it  or  not,  Harriet "  He  stopped 

suddenly  and  looked  frowningly  at  his  plate, 
then  swallowed  some  coffee. 

Harriet's  very  heart  stood  still.  She  knew 
in  a  moment  that  something  dreadful  had  hap- 
pened to  Ivo,  and  that  he  was  afraid  to  tell 
her  what  it  was. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  something,  too,  that  will 
interest  you,  Harriet,"  recklessly  blurted  out 
Delia. 

14  What  is  it,  Aunt  Delia? "  queried  Harriet, 
well  knowing  she  could  get  a  more  detailed  re- 
port of  what  had  befallen  her  Italian  lover 
from  her  than  from  Uncle  Billy. 

But  Billy  having  given  her  a  wink,  she  spoke 
guardedly.  Naturally  it  was  written  up  in  a 
sensational  manner — how  a  strikingly  hand- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    143 

some  Italian  had  been  found  lying  on  the  pave- 
ment, quite  unconscious  and  bleeding  profusely 
from  a  bruise  on  the  forehead.  It  was  thought 
he  must  have  been  knocked  on  the  head  by  some 
Black  Hand  fiend.  "  From  letters  in  his 
pocket  it  appears  his  name  is  Count  Ivo  Raf- 
f  aello  Bruno  of  Rome." 

An  awkward  silence  followed  this  piece  of 
information.  At  length  Billy  got  up  the  cour- 
age to  look  at  Harriet,  and  noticing  how  very 
pallid  was  her  countenance,  said,  sotto  vocej 
"  Shall  I  order  the  carriage  and  drive  you 
around  to  the  hospital  where  this  Count  has 
been  taken  ?  That  is  the  quickest  way  to  know 
exactly  what  has  occurred." 

"  No — not  now.  I  want,  first,  to  hold  a  con- 
sultation with  my  dear  Family  of  Friends  be- 
fore making  any  new  move  having  to  do  with 
Ivo.  My  last  communication  was  the  note  ap- 
prising him  of  my  promise  to  my  dying  father 
never  to  wed,  and  praying  him  to  forgive  and 
forget  me." 

'  Yes,  I  remember,  and  I  felt  sure  at  the  time 
there'd  be  the  devil  to  pay.  Thoroughbred 


144.    AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

Italians  in  love — like  the  one  you  have  got  on 
your  hands — are  hot  stuff.  One  can't  handle 
them  like  they  can  Americans.  We  may  all 
be  murdered  in  our  beds  before  we  get  out  of 
this  scrape.  I  told  White  so;  but  he  said  the 
risk  was  greater  to  you  and  all  concerned  to 
let  you  marry  this  sprig  of  the  Roman  aristoc- 
racy, than  to  make  it  impossible  by  a  death-bed 
promise." 

Harriet  said  nothing  more,  but  sat  silent  and 
thoughtful  until  she  perceived  that  all  had 
finished  their  meal.  Then  she  said,  rising: 

"  Dear  friends,  let  us  retire  to  the  Madonna 
Room.  I  want  your  advice  on  a  very  serious 
matter,  which  concerns  the  happiness  of  us  all." 

"  All  come  but  Lucy,"  said  Billy  affection- 
ately, "  because  we  are  going  to  hammer  some 
sound  sense  into  Harriet's  poor,  topsy- 
turvy brain.  You  know  she's  in  love,  and 
therefore  a  blind  fool.  We  can't  have  your 
lovely,  sympathetic  face  present.  Go  to  the 
piano  and  practice  your  music." 

"  Oh,  I  prefer  to  do  the  dishes  for  my  good 
7  aunts." 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    145 

"  You  will  make  some  man  a  mighty  good 
wife  some  day,"  commented  Billy,  as  he  fol- 
lowed Harriet's  lead. 

"Be  sure  and  slip  my  rubber  gloves  over 
those  lovely  hands,"  warned  Delia  as  she  lightly 
kissed  the  fine  brow  of  the  maiden  with  its 
artistically  curved  eyebrows.  Then  she  fol- 
lowed the  rest  up  stairs,  sighing  heavily. 
Could  it  be  possible  that  Harriet  was  so  slav- 
ishly in  love  with  her  Italian  count  as  to  be 
ready  to  break  her  promise  to  her  dying  father 
— then  turn  her  back  on  all  hitherto  dear  to 
her ;  render  null  and  void  the  long  training  for 
a  responsible  position,  and  fly  to  Europe  at 
the  beck  of  a  man  she  could  know  little  about? 
It  looked  like  it.  Women  in  love  were  really 
insane.  And  Delia  sighed  again,  deeper  than 
before. 


CHAPTER  XI 


The  woman  of  the  twentieth  century  will  not 
only  have  learned  many  things,  she  will  have 
forgotten  many  also — the  feminine  as  well  as 
the  anti-feminine  foolishness  of  the  present 
day. 

She  mill  desire  the  happiness  of  love  with 
her  whole  being.  She  is  delicate  and  refined, 
not  because  she  is  chlorotic,  but  because  she  is 
healthy  and  red-blooded.  She  is  sensuous  be- 
cause she  is  full  of  soul,  and  truthful  because 
she  is  proud.  She  demands  great  love  because 
she  gives  love  with  a  still  greater  passion. 
Through  her  refined  idealism  the  erotical  prob- 
lem will  be  very  complicated  and  often  difficult 
to  solve.  Therefore,  the  happiness  she  will 
give  and  feel  will  be  deeper,  richer  and  more 
lasting  than  anything  hitherto  called  happiness. 
Many  traits  belonging  to  the  wife  and  mother 
of  to-day  will  be  very  lilcely  missing  in  the 
woman  of  the  twentieth  century.  She  will  al- 
ways remain  a  sweetheart  and  only  as  such  will 
she  become  a  mother.  She  will  devote  her 
noblest  and  strongest  forces  to  the  difficult  and 
beautiful  art  of  being  sweetheart  and  mother 
in  one:  her  religion  will  be  to  create  the  Bliss 
of  Life. 

ELLEN  KEY  of  Copenhagen. 


CHAPTER   XI 

"Madonna  Room,"  toward 
which  the  White  Family  of  Friends 
are  directing  their  steps,  was  Har- 
riet's idea,  worked  out  very  cau- 
tiously ever  since  she  was  quite  a  young 
girl  with  a  fondness  for  madonnas  holding  the 
chubbiest  of  babies.  It  was  located  in  the 
third  story,  and  in  the  preparation  of  this  mag- 
nificent room — for  wTorks  of  art — no  expense 
had  been  spared.  Ever  since  Harriet  was  a 
small  maid,  her  father  had  let  her  spend  her 
allowance  as  she  chose.  Curiously  enough  it 
nearly  all  went  to  gratify  her  love  for  art  and 
the  strong  maternal  instinct  inherited  from 
her  Italian  mother.  Every  year,  for  a  dozen 
years  or  more,  a  new  madonna,  sometimes  two, 
found  its  way  to  this  large,  palatial  art  room. 
Quite  a  number  of  fine  paintings,  not  of  the 
madonna  description,  had  been  removed  in 
order  to  make  room  for  the  ever-increasing 

H9 


150    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

virgin  mothers  and  their  babes.  The  ceiling 
was  an  artistic  creation  of  exquisitely  tinted, 
charmingly  grouped  clouds  and  cupids. 
Some  of  the  winged  love-archers  were  in  the 
act  of  arming  themselves  with  bows  and  ar- 
rows and  darts;  others,  already  prepared  to 
transfix  hearts,  were  descending  earthward. 
All  the  round  little  faces  shone  with  love,  and 
their  pink,  chubby,  nude  bodies  were  also  a 
delight  to  the  eye.  The  floor  was  laid  with 
softly  tinted  tiles  in  classical  design.  Rich 
rugs  reposed  at  various  intervals  throughout 
the  room,  noticeably  before  sofas  or  easy 
chairs.  A  couple  of  inlaid,  antique  tables 
added  splendor  to  the  appearance  of  this 
remarkable  Madonna  Room. 

The  quintet  of  people,  having  entered  on 
this  scene,  seated  themselves  rather  close  to- 
gether. Then  all  looked  at  Harriet  as  if  to 
say,  "  Why  have  you  brought  us  to  a  place 
filled  with  mothers  holding  chubby  children, 
when  you  are  doomed  to  celibacy? " 

As  for  Harriet,  she  fastened  her  gaze  on 
Billy  Brown,  seated  in  the  biggest,  most  com- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    151 

fortable  chair  the  room  held,  and  said: 
"  Uncle  Billy,  you  have  dropped  some  remarks 
which  have  led  me  to  believe  that  you  know 
why  my  father  exacted  a  death-bed  promise 
from  me  not  to  marry.  Please  tell  us  what 
you  know." 

All  eyes  were  immediately  focussed  on  the 
large  man  in  the  great  "  throne-room  chair," 
looking  rather  uncomfortable.  He  jerked 
out,  rather  than  said : 

"  I — I  must  admit — that  poor  White — and 
I — talked  over  this  love  affair  of  yours — for 
a  Roman  aristocrat,  a  time  or  two.  Your 
father  said — that — as  his  Harriet  had  been  a 
docile  daughter,  he  knew  well  enough  she'd  be 
a  docile  wife.  That  meant,"  he  said,  "the 
throwing  to  the  dogs  his  long  training  which 
had  made  of  his  Harriet  just  the  right  person 
to  fill  his  shoes  when  he  was  gone.  Besides, 
as  the  docile  wife  of  a  European  aristocrat, 
that  meant  that  Harriet's  money  would  be  lost 
at  gaming  tables,  in  rebuilding  and  refurnish- 
ing old,  decaying  castles,  paying  an  army  of 
servants,  giving  and  attending  balls,  riding  in 


automobiles,  attending  races,  while  poor  Har- 
riet herself  must  give  up  home,  friends,  coun- 
try, religion,  and  see  her  children  reared  aristo- 
crats instead  of  solid,  sturdy,  common-sense 
Americans." 

Billy  Brown  paused,  out  of  breath.  He  had 
probably  made  the  longest,  most  serious,  con- 
secutive speech  of  his  life.  He  could  reel  off 
jokes  by  the  yard,  and  had  no  end  of  fish 
stories  at  command;  but  a  serious  speech,  hav- 
ing to  do  with  women  who  all  glued  their  eyes 
on  you  so  that  you  scarcely  dared  to  raise  your 
own — he  mentally  hoped,  as  he  finished,  would 
happen  "  never  again." 

"  You  think,  then,  my  father  would  not  have 
objected  to  my  being  associated  with  Ivo  in  a 
marital  way,  provided  I  carried  out  his  wishes 
in  respect  to  the  business  interests  he  has 
taught  me  to  understand — in  fact  has  bred  me 
to  manipulate? " 

"  Probably  not.  But  you  know  how  it  is. 
When  a  woman  is  married,  she  is  no  longer 
her  own  boss.  She  is  a  minor.  Poor  woman! 
*  First  a  beast  of  burden,  then  a  domestic  ani- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    153 

mal,  then  a  slave,  then  a  servant,  and  then  a 
minor.'  Your  father  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
your  playing  the  part  of  minor  after  training 
you  to  boss  big  business  interests  and  compli- 
cations." 

Billy  Brown,  feeling  that  he  had  acquitted 
himself  bravely — had  spoken  to  the  point- 
now  pulled  out  a  big,  fat  cigar,  lighted  it,  and 
began  to  puff  vigorously.  The  Twins  never 
liked  the  way  Billy  smoked  in  the  house  and  all 
over  it,  but  as  Mr.  White  had  often  urged  them 
to  say  nothing,  "  Bill  being  such  an  awfully 
good  fellow,  you  know,"  they  were  mute. 

Harriet  broke  the  silence,  which  was  becom- 
ing oppressive,  by  saying,  "  My  conscience 
troubles  me  not  a  little  about  Ivo.  I  really  did 
let  him  see  in  Rome  that  I  loved  him;  and 
although  I  made  no  verbal  promises  that  I 
would  be  his,  by  my  actions  I  led  him  to  believe 
that  when  my  father  no  longer  needed  me,  I 
would  not  longer  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  his  plead- 
ing for  my  love.  Well,  now,  do  you  know,  I 
have  a  good  mind  to  take  Ivo  on  a  free  union 
basis,  provided  he  is  willing." 


154    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

"My  heavens!  Why  don't  you  say  on  a 
free  love  basis,  and  be  done  with  it?"  inter- 
posed Celia  with  flashing  eyes. 

"Ay,  a  free  lust  basis!"  angrily  shouted 
Delia.  "  This  comes  of  Harriet's  being  edu- 
cated by  men.  All  men  would  like  to  have 
free  lust  in  place  of  the  holy  state  of  matri- 
mony, if  they  could  get  the  women  to  agree  to 
such  a  diabolical  state  of  living." 

"  Not  all  men,"  corrected  Harriet.  "  Why, 
it  is  our  men  who  have  made  all  our  laws,  those 
pertaining  to  marriage  included." 

"  And  made  a  mess  of  the  business,"  said 
Jeremiah  Jordan,  still  smarting  over  the  way 
he  had  been  stranded  in  life  by  clever  divorce 
lawyers,  stringent  divorce  laws,  and  a  sus- 
picious, credulous  public. 

Billy  Brown  removed  his  big  cigar  long 
enough  to  correct  Harriet.  He  declared,  "  It 
is  our  priests,  who  refuse  to  marry  at  all,  and 
who  look  down  on  marriage,  who  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it  themselves,  that  are  re- 
sponsible for  our  indissoluble  marriage  system, 
Once  they  get  a  man  and  woman  yoked  to- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    155 

gether,  no  matter  how  unequally,  no  matter  if 
both  find  the  yoke  crushing  the  life  prema- 
turely out  of  them,  just  the  same,  they  must 
put  up  with  it,  until,  by  George,  the  life  too 
often  is  crushed  out  of  'em." 

"  Then  I  suppose  you  and  Jeremiah  will 
back  up  our  Harriet  in  going  to  the  devil,  for 
that  is  where  this  free  union — free  love — free 
lust — it  is  all  the  same  thing — leads  to."  Thus 
spoke  Delia,  her  fleshy  face  red  with  anger. 

Next,  thin-faced,  sad-eyed  Celia  began  in  a 
whining  voice,  to  make  her  little  speech. 

"  I  am  astonished,  Harriet,  that  such  a  de- 
grading idea  should  have  entered  your  head — 
and  to  think  of  carrying  it  out  with  a 
European  aristocrat !  And  of  all  things  with 
an  Italian  aristocrat — a  born  sentimentalist,  a 
born  gambler  with  a  childlike  ignorance  of  the 
ten  commandments,  and  particularly  of  the 
seventh!  Love  has  really  turned  you  into  a 
fool,  my  poor  child." 

Celia  whipped  out  a  handkerchief  and  began 
to  weep. 

"  Who  is  this  Count  Ivo  Raff  aello  Bruno — 


156    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

does  he  come  of  decent  stock?"  asked  Billy 
Brown. 

"  It  appears,  from  what  I  can  learn,  that  his 
family  tree  contains  many  illustrious  names, 
among  which  are  two  well-known  saints,  St. 
Ivo  and  St.  Bruno." 

"  Has  your  Ivo  the  reputation  of  being  a 
saint,  too  ?  "  asked  Celia,  forgetting  in  her  new 
interest  regarding  Harriet's  lover,  to  weep. 

"  No,  indeed !  I  would  not  be  in  love  with 
him  if  he  was  a  saint.  Saints  are  unfit  for 
practical  life.  They  lack  common  sense." 

Celia  continued  her  weeping,  while  Delia 
said  pleadingly,  "  Surely  you  are  not  in 
earnest — or  you  are  so  perplexed  you  do  not 
know  what  you  are  talking  about.  Dear 
child,  let  us  wait  a  few  weeks,  before  consider- 
ing this  awful  matter  of  free  union  further. 
We  are  all  worn  out  with  grief  over  your 
father's  death." 

"And,  in  the  meantime,  another  person  very 
dear  to  me  may  die,"  sighed,  rather  than  said 
Harriet,  becoming  alarmingly  pale. 

"  Go  to  see  him,  of  course.     While  he  is  flat 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    157 

on  his  back  in  a  hospital,  he  cannot  hurt  any- 
body. I  will  drive  you  around,  and  then  I 
must  be  off  to  business.  It  is  time  now  I  was 
on  hand,"  Billy  decided,  after  consulting  his 
big  watch.  There  was  nothing  small  about 
"  Bill  Brown." 

Harriet  spoke  firmly. 

"  No,  I  will  not  see  Ivo  again — unless  I — 
we  are  willing  he  should  become  a  member  of 
our  Family  of  Friends  and  a  co-partner  with 
me  in  a  marital  way." 

"  But  you  can't  marry!  Can't  you  get  that 
into  your  head!  And  to  live  with  him  as  you 
suggest — in  a  free  union  way — is  a  crime!" 
yelled  Delia,  almost  in  hysterics. 

"  I  can't  see  it  in  that  light,"  said  Harriet 
firmly,  and  with  more  spirit  than  she  had  hith- 
erto shown.  "  It  seems  to  me,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  it  is  a  crime  against  human  nature — 
and  particularly  American  human  nature,  sup- 
posed to  have  infused  into  it  more  love  of 
liberty  than  any  other  kind— to  insist  that 
every  couple  pledge  away  all  domestic  liberty 
when  they  get  married — at  an  age,  too,  when 


158    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

by  far  the  greater  number  only  imagine  them- 
selves in  love.  There  is  nothing  I  am  more 
thankful  to  my  father  for  than  the  prompt 
nipping  in  the  bud  of  my  girlish  infatuation 
for  a  man  I  never  could  have  really  loved  when 
once  I  saw  him  as  he  was — without  character. 
Then  after  that  to  have  felt  myself  obliged  to 
bear  his  children — can't  you  understand  what 
a  condition  of  often  intolerable  purgatory  this 
state  of  affairs  would  involve? " 

"  Oh,  let  Harriet  have  her  way.  She's  got 
more  sense  than  all  of  us  put  together,"  urged 
Billy  Brown,  as  he  got  up  to  stretch  himself 
and  walk  about  a  bit  for  a  change,  smoking 
meanwhile,  and  irritating  the  Twins  more  and 
more.  Delia,  therefore,  spoke  in  her  highest- 
pitched  tones,  and  with  an  angry  glance  di- 
rected straight  at  Billy,  though  what  she  said 
was  directed  to  Harriet. 

"  Do  you  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  any 
respectable  woman  would  enter  so  intimate  a 
relation  as  marriage  entails,  without  an  indis- 
soluble marriage  rite,  upheld  by  both  law  and 
religion?" 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    159 

"And  counsel  fees  and  alimony  when  the 
wife  tires  of  her  husband,"  added  Jeremiah 
Jordan,  who,  hitherto  had  not  spoken.  He 
was  the  regular  type  of  "book-worm" — the 
thing  he  became  after  his  wife  ruined  his  ca- 
reer as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  That  is,  he 
had  developed  into  a  bloodless,  parchment—- 
skinned, bespectacled,  bald-headed  ~f-  book- 
devouring  machine,  though  sometimes  for  a 
change  he  prepared  a  learned  volume  which 
never  failed  to  drop,  still-born,  from  the  press. 

"  Ah,  yes,"  resumed  Harriet,  "  the  way 
things  are  now,  married  men  are  certainly  get- 
ting the  worst  of  it.  Think  of  my  poor,  inno- 
cent father!  What  immense  pain,  as  well  as 
big  sums  of  money,  his  two  supposedly  in- 
dissoluble marriages  cost  him,  and  all  because 
two  women  married  him  on  account  of  the  fact 
that  he  was  rich,  and  probably  for  no  other 
reason.  I  don't  wonder  there  is  a  great  and 
growing  tendency  on  the  part  of  liberty-loving 
men  to  be  bachelors  rather  than  benedicts. 
The  truth  is,  there  ought  to  be  two  kinds  of 
marriages — to  fit  those  in  bondage  to  the  old 


160    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

order,  and  for  bona  fide  Americans.  The  for- 
mer, who  regard  the  institution  as  a  sacra- 
ment, could  then  be  wedded  in  a  church,  which 
seldom  permits  an  annulment  of  marriage 
vows  and  re-marriage.  The  other,  who  hold 
common-sense  views  of  matrimony,  should  be 
permitted  to  go  to  a  civil  servant  and  be  mar- 
ried by  him  with  the  right  to  have  their  mar- 
riage contract  dissolved  in  the  usual  way  by 
another  civil  servant,  the  Judge  presiding  over 
the  case,  and  to  be  at  liberty  to  make  a  new 
marriage  if  desired.  The  truth  is,  marriages 
of  *  anguish  and  alimony'  are  becoming 
scandalously  frequent." 

"  But,"  urged  Delia,  "  think  of  the  hell  you 
will  find  yourself  in,  should  you  go  ahead  and 
practice  what  you  propose — a  free  union  with 
this  Italian  aristocrat.  It  is  notorious  that  a 
man  tires  of  unlawful  marital  relations  as  he 
grows  older  and  turns  his  face  toward  respect- 
ability. What  will  you  do  then,  my  poor 
Harriet?" 

"Attend  to  my  business,  as  usual;"  said 
Harriet  with  her  usual  serenity. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    161 

"  Yes,  but  with  a  broken  heart!  "  exclaimed 
Celia,  removing  her  handkerchief  and  present- 
ing to  the  view  of  all  some  very  red  eyes. 

"  Well,  no — not  for  a  man  who  tires  of  me. 
I  have,  I  am  sure,  more  common  sense  than  to 
permit  my  heart  to  break  for  that  sort  of  a 
man." 

"  Harriet  has  been  trained  by  reasonable 
men,  not  by  unreasonable,  emotional  women," 
remarked  Jeremiah,  regarding  Harriet  with 
admiration. 

"  Oh,  you  shut  up.    You  are  nobody! "  with--r-0  J^J 
eringly    ejaculated   Delia,   as   she   furiously 
stamped  her  foot. 

Billy  Brown  now  resumed  his  "  throne-room 
chair,"  and  said  impressively: 

"  Ah,  but  my  dear  child,  have  you  reflected 
that  free  union  might  entail  disagreeable  con- 
sequences. There  might  be  children " 

"  I  hope  there  will  be!  "  said  Harriet  impul- 
sively. "  Ivo  is  a  tremendously  well  set  up, 
handsome  fellow.  Who  knows  but  that  I 
might  have  by  him  children  with  forms  like 
Greek  gods  and  goddesses!  I  always  said, 


162    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

when  I  was  a  little  girl,  that  I  would  have 
seven  real  children  some  day  in  place  of  seven 
make-believe  ones.  Think  of  my  presenting 
the  world  with  seven  American-Greek  gods 
and  goddesses ! " 

"  My  God !  Our  Harriet  to  bring  into  the 
world  illegitimate  children!  Illegitimate!  II- 

legit "  Poor  Delia  could  say  nothing 

more  from  the  fact  that  at  this  point  she  went 
off  into  violent  hysterics,  while  her  sister 
stopped  her  weeping  to  faint  dead  away. 

Billy  Brown  rushed  downstairs  to  telephone 
for  a  doctor  and  to  send  up  sweet  Lucy  Myers 
with  remedies  calculated  to  assist  Harriet  and 
the  tutor  in  their  efforts  to  restore  conscious- 
ness to  Celia  and  abate  the  violence  of  Delia's 
attack  of  hysteria. 

Then  he  hied  himself  down  town  to  business, 
congratulating  himself  that  he  was  out  of  that 
wjwnanmess^ 

Bachelordom  has  its  secret  joys — and,  per- 
haps, more  than  its  share  of  secret  sorrows. 


CHAPTER  XII 


Your  heart  is  never  away, 

But  ever  with  mine  forever, 

Forever  without  endeavor, 
To-morrow,  love,  as  to-day; 
Two  blent  hearts  never  astray, 

Two  souls  no  power  may  sever, 

Together,  0  my  love,  forever! 

EXCHANGE. 


•••••••• 


CHAPTER  XII 

HARRIET'S  manager  was  very  loyal 
to  her,  and  so  it  happened  that  the 
lunch  hour  found  him  hurrying  back 
to  help  her,  if  he  could,  under  the 
present  trying  circumstances.    He  was  pleased 
to  see  the  Twins  occupying  their  usual  places 
at  the  dinner  table,  and  more  than  pleased  to 
observe  that  something  like  happiness  shone 
once  more  in  Harriet's  countenance.     Sweet 
Lucy  Myers  was  busy  passing  good  things  to 
eat  around  among  this  silent  and  somewhat 
absent-minded  group. 

'Well,  how  are  you  coming  on?"  asked 
Billy  Brown  in  his  hearty  way  as  he  seated 
himself  in  the  place  always  reserved  for  him. 
Delia,  looking  unusually  pale,  replied,  "  Oh, 
we  have  told  Harriet  she  would  find  us  true- 
blue — no  matter  what  she  did!     That  if  she 
j  chose  to  go  to  hell  itself,  we  would  go  along 
>  watching  for  a  chance  to  fan  her." 

165 


166    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

This  speech  caused  no  end  of  merriment  to 
Billy  Brown,  while  Jeremiah's  parchment  skin 
relaxed  about  his  mouth,  and  made  him  look 
suddenly  quite  human.  As  for  Lucy,  she 
smiled,  but  in  a  subdued  manner,  fearing  that 
if  she  did  otherwise  she  might  hurt  the  feel- 
ings of  her  really  good,  high-minded-if -nar- 
row aunts. 

"  I  see  you  have  the  carriage  at  the  door! " 
observed  Billy  when  he  had  stopped  laughing 
and  blinking  at  Harriet. 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Jerry  and  I  are  going  to  the 
hospital  where  Ivo  is,  just  as  soon  as  he  has 
finished  his  lunch." 

"  I  am  ready  now,"  declared  that  gentleman 
with  alacrity.  He  knew  well  enough  that 
Harriet  was  immensely  eager  to  be  off.  And 
so  these  two  lost  no  time  in  setting  off  behind  a 
pair  of  high-spirited,  perfectly  matched  pair 
of  "  grays,"  Harriet  driving,  of  course,  it 
being  too  hazardous  to  let  short-sighted,  absent- 
minded  Jeremiah  attempt  anything  so  perilous 
as  irresponsible  driving  in  crowded  New  York. 
But  he  was  a  good  person  to  leave  with  a  well- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    167 

hitched  team;  for  always  there  came  out  of  his 
pocket  some  abstruse  work  which  made  it  easy 
for  Harriet  to  go  about  her  business  in  a  leis- 
urely way,  if  necessary. 

The  young  Italian  count  had  been  taken  to 
Bellevue  Hospital, 'the  first  stone  of  the  orig- 
inal building  of  which  was  laid  in  1811.  At 
this  date,  1892-3,  it  embraced  forty  wards  with 
768  beds,  thus  constituting  one  of  the  largest 
institutions  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  But 
Bellevue  was  only  one  of  eighty  of  New 
York's  "  inns  on  the  highway  of  life  where 
suffering  finds  alleviation  and  sympathy," 
some  of  these  inns — hospitals — being  among 
the  largest  and  most  magnificent  in  the  city. 
The  newer  ones  are  fitted  up  with  the  most 
efficient  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus. 
Indeed,  it  was  affirmed  "there  is  no  kind  of 
bodily  suffering  that  may  not  find  skill- 
ful treatment  in  these  healing  homes,  where 
the  most  eminent  physicians  and  surgeons 
give  freely  of  their  time  and  skill  to  the 
inmates."  Truly,  New  York  has  a  tender 
heart,  since  she  already  cares  well  for  her 


168    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

maimed,  disabled  and  diseased  children.  Some 
day  she  will  be  just  as  solicitous  for  her  hard- 
luck  people — those  out  of  work,  who  too  fre- 
quently wearily  tramp  her  streets,  seeking  em- 
ployment, until  they  prematurely  die  of  fa- 
tigue and  hunger.  True,  New  York's  family 
grows  by  leaps  and  bounds;  but  then  so  does 
her  store  of  good  things  multiply  like  the 
loaves  and  fishes  we  read  about  in  our  New 
Testament.  Hence,  without  doubt,  the  New 
York  of  the  future,  reposing  on  her  island 
home, — gracious,  glorious,  magnificent,  like  a 
city  let  down  from  Heaven, — will  see  to  it  that 
every  member  of  her  Family  of  Friends  has 
enough  and  to  spare. ) 

Harriet,  having  consulted  the  proper  author- 
ities, was  soon  following  an  attendant  until  she 
was  brought  to  where  her  eye  fell  upon  Ivo, 
his  head  well  bandaged,  his  dark  eyes  heavy 
with  a  nameless  melancholy,  restlessly  roving 
about  as  if  seeking  for  something. 

Harriet  had  kept  well  in  the  rear  of  her  at- 
tendant until  they  were  quite  near  his  cot,  when 
she  stepped  forward,  bursting,  as  it  were,  sud- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    169 

denly  on  his  vision — so  near — without  warn- 
ing! A  week  of  stony  grief,  minus  food, 
except  a  little  liquid  nourishment,  and  almost 
without  sleep,  had  strangely  altered  Harriet's 
countenance,  usually  so  smiling,  so  serene — be- 
speaking vigorous  health  and  fine  mental  poise. 
Ivo  was  horrified  at  the  change  one  week  had 
wrought,  and  his  heart  smote  him.  How 
could  he  have  done  this  pale,  lovely  woman 
such  fearful  injustice!  how  believed  her  to  be 
false  and  without  heart!  Tears  filled  his  eyes 
as  he  held  out  his  arms.  Harriet  was  too  weak, 
too  worn,  too  conscience-stricken,  too  hungry 
likewise  for  a  little  love,  to  care  what  the  wit- 
nesses about  might  think.  She  knelt  down  by 
Ivo's  side,  laid  her  head  on  Ivo's  breast,  and  for 
a  few  moments  wept  with  perfect  abandon- 
ment. Then,  recalling  the  fact  that  she  should 
be  self -controlled  and  cheerful  in  a  hospital,  of 
all  places  in  the  world,  she  quickly  rose,  saying 
as  she  wiped  her  face : 

"  Forgive  me,  Ivo,  for  being  so  weak  when 
I  should  be  strong,  so  bad  when  I  should  be 
good." 


170    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

They  were  quite  alone,  now,  so  far  as  the  at- 
tendant was  concerned,  she  having  gone  about 
her  business  as  soon  as  she  perceived  that  these 
two  were  lovers. 

"  Dear  Harriet,"  eagerly  began  Ivo,  "  I  am 
the  one  to  ask  pardon " 

"  Say  no  more,  Ivo  mio.  I  was  wholly  to 
blame.  I  should  have  seen  you  and  talked  the 
matter  over  frankly.  But  let  us  now  consider 
the  best  means  to  improve  your  health.  You 
look  sadly  run  down.  When  can  you  be  re- 
moved to  a  private  hospital,  or  some  charming 
home  where  you  can  have  more  room  to  get 
well  in,  more  air  to  breathe,  more  privacy." 

"  There  is  really  nothing  the  matter  with 
me — a  mere  scratch  on  my  temple,"  said  Ivo, 
as  he  held  her  hands  tight  within  his  own  and 
devoured  her  with  his  eyes. 

"  If  that  is  true,"  murmured  Harriet  rather 
doubtingly  as  she  attentively  regarded  him,  "  I 
will  go  and  search  for  some  classic  villa  without 
too  many  modern  improvements,  where  you 
can  quietly  and  artistically  recuperate." 

Ivo  laughed  at  Harriet's  joking  suggestions. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    171 

"  As  you  please,"  he  replied,  "  only  I  must 
insist  that  it  be  not  so  far  away  but  that  you 
can  come  to  see  me  often." 

"  Oh,  I  am  taking  a  vacation  now  and  I  shall 
make  it  my  business  to  assist  you  to  rugged 
health." 

"  And  when  you  have  gotten  me  well,  cara 
roiaj  with  your  tender  care  and  loving  glances, 
then  will  you  leave  me  to  languish  miserably 
by  cold  neglect — or,  perhaps,  send  me  a  cruel 
note  that  deprives  me  of  reason — Oh,  Harriet ! 
surely  you  will  not  banish  me  again  from  your 
sweet  presence,  which  means  everything  to  me 
that  life  holds  dear.  With  you  I  live !  With- 
out you  —  who  can  foresee  what  a  hideous 
tragedy  may  take  place  with  you  and  me  in  the 
leading  roles? " 

As  Ivo  finished  his  threatening  speech,  he 
raised  one  of  Harriet's  hands  to  his  lips  and  bit 
it  savagely;  but  Harriet  only  laughed,  and  re- 
plied in  a  soothing  manner,  "  Ah,  Ivo  mio,  let 
us  be  happy  in  the  present,  and  fear  nothing. 
Perfect  love,  you  know,  casteth  out  fear." 

Then  she  stooped  down  and  permitted  Ivo 


172    AN"  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

to  take  the  long,  clinging  lover's  kiss  he  en- 
joyed so  much — even  in  a  hospital  with  plenty 
of  witnesses  1  Being  at  length  released,  Har- 
riet hurriedly  retraced  her  steps,  only  pausing 
at  the  door  to  wave  a  cheerful  adieu. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


There  is  one  element  in  human  nature  and 
the  constitution  of  society  more  important  than 
any  other  consideration,  or  considerations,  to 
the  future  of  marriage.  That  is  the  noble  sen- 
timent of  love,  too  much  ignored,  ever  dominant 
in  the  human  race,  ingrained  in  the  very  being 
of  men  and  women,  native  to  their  growth.  It 
will  not  be  educated  out  of  us.  It  shapes  it- 
self  to  our  peculiarities.  It  is  generous  in  the 
generous,  refined  in  the  refined,  strong  in  the 
weak,  but  strongest  in  the  strong.  What  im- 
proves the  man  improves  the  lover.  So  long  as 
grass  grows  green  and  water  runs  down  to  the 
sea,  will  men  and  women  share  their  joys  and 
sorrows,  cherish  their  offspring,  and  build  in 
happy  hope  the  fabric  of  their  homes. 

JOHN  L.  SEATON  in  North  American. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

IVO  had  been  installed  in  a  beautiful, 
spacious    apartment,    embracing    a 
trio  of  rooms,  in  a  "  cjisajlusaluti,"  a 
whole  month  before  he  dared  touch 
again  on  so  dangerous  a  topic  as  marriage. 
But  at  last  he  could  wait  no  longer,  and,  being 
an  Italian,  he  naturally  prepared  the  way  in  an 
artistic  manner. 

After  Harriet  had  bidden  him  farewell  in 
Rome,  he  set  himself  to  accomplish  three 
things — by  one  of  which,  if  successfully  ac- 
complished, he  hoped  to  win  the  approbation 
of  the  father,  John  W.  White;  by  the  other 
two,  command  the  admiration  of  his  daughter 
and  bind  her  heart  to  his  own  in  a  still  closer 
union. 

The  first  task  was  to  so  invest  his  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  as  to  make  it  breed  money  with 
American  swiftness.  In  this  enterprise,  luck 
— together  with  the  shrewd  advice  of  a  Jewish 

175 


176    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

friend — favored  him  so  that  at  the  end  of  one 
year  he  had  doubled  his  original  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  But,  alas,  Mr.  White  had  passed 
away  quite  unconscious  of  the  titanic  efforts 
put  forth  by  Captain  Bruno  in  the  hope  to 
make  himself  solid  with  the  old  man,  thereby 
being  able  to  win  his  consent  as  a  suitor  for 
Harriet's  hand. 

It  now  remained  to  see  what  effect  upon 
Harriet  his  artistic  efforts  would  produce.  She 
visited  him  every  afternoon,  arriving  at  an 
early  hour.  Usually  she  came  in  one  of  her 
own  private  carriages,  when  they  took  a  ride, 
visiting  some  historical  or  romantic  scene,  of 
which  New  York  has  an  abundance.  During 
a  part  of  an  afternoon  spent  in  Central  Park, 
Ivo  made  Harriet  very  happy  by  his  enthusi- 
astic praise  of  this  noble  park.  True,  he  also 
made  suggestions  as  to  how  it  could  and  should 
be  improved  by  so  prodigiously  wealthy  a  peo- 
ple as  New  Yorkers  were  famed  to  be — until 
she  began  to  realize  it  was  only  in  the  first 
stages  of  its  usefulness,  picturesqueness  and 
magnificence. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    177 

But  this  afternoon,  when  Harriet  came,  Ivo 
stoutly  refused  to  go  riding  with  her,  giving 
the  laughable  excuse  that  he  already  knew 
more  about  little  old  New  York,  ambitious 
New  York,  and  aspiring,  metropolitan  New 
York,  than  he  knew  about  his  own  city- 
Rome.  Then  he  added,  "  Besides,  I  have,  I 
think,  an  agreeable  surprise  for  you.  Come 
right  in !  Follow  me !  " 

As  Harriet  followed  Ivo — not  to  the  recep- 
tion room,  for  some  unknown  reason — anxiety 
was  gnawing  at  his  heart  in  a  way  that  seemed 
to  him,  at  the  time,  to  threaten  early  dissolu- 
tion. Accordingly  he  was  determined  "  not 
another  day  or  hour  "  to  obey  Harriet's  oft- 
repeated  advice  "to  be  patient  and  get  strong 
physically  before  attacking  things  not  easy  to 
handle." 

Ivo's  "  surprise "  for  this  afternoon  con- 
sisted of  three  paintings  which  he  had  produced 
under  the  inspiration  and  at  the  dictation  of 
that  most  formidable  of  autocrats,  Love  I 
Whether  they  were  masterpieces  or  quite  other- 
wise, he  could  not  say,  having  given  neither 


178    AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  the  world  "  nor  any  group  of  artists  the  op- 
portunity to  sit  in  judgment  upon  them.  At 
present  he  cared  only  to  please  Harriet.  If 
she  liked  them  it  mattered  "  not  a  continental " 
what  others  thought  of  their  merits  or  de- 
merits. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  by  Ivo,  not  a  caress 
offered  as  the  poor  lover  with  sinking  heart 
conducted  Harriet  toward  a  newly  rented 
room,  "  with  the  light  just  right,"  where  he 
had  carefully  hung  what  might  decide  his  fate 
— his  three  paintings.  He  was  well  aware  that 
Harriet  was  a  true  lover  of  Art  in  its  manifold 
manifestations.  Indeed  she  had  proved  her- 
self extremely  susceptible  to  its  influence  over 
her  mind  and  heart  in  many  ways,  and  had 
sometimes  expressed  deep  regret  that  her 
father  had  chosen  to  educate  her  for  a  business 
career  instead  of  having  her  trained  to  follow 
some  branch  of  Art.  When  asked  which 
branch  she  would  have  chosen  to  devote  her  life 
to,  she  would  laugh  and  say  she  could  not 
tell  off-hand,  since  she  loved  them  all  so  well. 

When  Ivo  opened  the  door  of  the  room  con- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    179 

taining  his  treasures,  his  face  was  quite  pallid 
with  fear.  So  much  hung  on  the  outcome  of 
the  next  few  moments!  If  Harriet  thought 
them  masterpieces,  then  she  might  be  influenced 
to  make  some  master  move  which  would  not 
only  not  separate  them  in  the  future,  butAtend 
toward  completeness  of  union — to  perfect 
unity  of  being. 

Ivo  felt  what  a  certain  writer  has  put  into 
suggestible  language :  "  By  the  mysterious 
law  of  sex  polarity,  each  fills  in  and  perfects 
the  other  in  heart,  knowledge  and  intuition,  till, 
being  wholly  identified  in  one  another,  they 
prophesy.  By  their  unity  each  knows  more 
and  better  because  of  the  other.  The  com- 
pleteness of  the  unity  perfects  them." 

Having  once  got  the  door  open  with  his 
shaking  hands,  Ivo  said,  "  Look,  Harriet!  and 
then  tell  me  what  you  think.  Sit  in  judgment 
on  the  work  of  your  poor  lover,  who  will  retire 
to  the  sofa,  awaiting  your  verdict."  "  Being 
meanwhile  in  hell,"  Ivo  said  to  himself,  as  he 
walked  away. 

Harriet,  however,  was  paying  no  attention 


180    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

to  anything  save  the  painting  on  which  her  eye 
first  alighted.  It  held  her  spell-bound.  It 
spoke  to  her  with  an  eloquence  which  filled  her 
eyes  with  tears,  and  pierced  her  heart  with  joy 
so  intense  it  could  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  pain.  When  she  could  gaze  no  longer 
because  of  the  tears  which  came  so  fast  in  spite 
of  her  efforts  to  hold  them  back,  she  walked  to 
where  Ivo  was  seated,  with  her  tear-stained 
face  hidden  in  her  hands.  Next  she  knelt 
down  by  his  side,  laid  her  head  on  his  lap,  and 
actually  sobbed,  like  an  uncontrolled,  emo- 
tional girl  half  her  age. 

The  picture  which  had  caused  Harriet  such 
intense  emotion  was  entitled  "  Love's  Healing 
Glance."  True  to  life  had  Ivo  drawn  and 
painted  Harriet  as  she  looked,  bending  over 
him,  while  he  lay  ill  in  a  hospital  of  Rome  with 
a  brain  tortured  by  fever  and  full  of  mad 
fancies.  He  had,  it  is  true,  idealized  Harriet's 
face  somewhat,  making  it  super-beautiful,  with 
a  lovely  halo  about  the  head.  She  was  repre- 
sented as  gazing  with  love-filled  glance  stead- 
fastly into  the  dark  eyes  of  the  sick  man — an 


excellent  likeness  of  Ivo.  Next,  the  artist  had 
so  rendered  Harriet's  steady  gaze,  that  one 
could  actually  see,  intermingled,  delicate  heal- 
ing rays  of  love  and  light  streaming  from  her 
beautiful  eyes  direct  into  that  other  pair,  so 
full  of  pain  and  bewilderment — yet  full,  too, 
of  eager  hope.  At  one  side,  back  of  Harriet, 
stood  the  Lieutenant,  resplendent  in  artistic 
Italian  military  trappings,  eagerly  watching 
the  pair  destined  to  be  lovers.  Still  further 
back  on  the  other  side  sat  Mr.  White,  looking 
a  trifle  bored.  The  background  and  indeed 
every  detail  of  this  magnificent  painting  had 
been  finished  with  the  utmost  care  and  skill. 
Some  brilliant  colors  had  been  used,  but  all  had 
been  charmingly  harmonized — not  a  false  note 
anywhere.  Ivo  had  not  only  approved  him- 
self a  very  skillful  draughtsman,  like  Raphael, 
but  a  wonderful  colorist,  reminding  one  of 
Titian  and  his  group.  Then  Harriet  knew 
enough  about  portrait  painting  to  be  cognizant 
of  the  fact  that  it  requires  a  very  great  artist 
to  catch  and  place  upon  canvas  such  wonder- 
fully true  likenesses  as  Ivo  had  accomplished 


182    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

with  the  four  people  represented  in  "  Love's 
Healing  Glance."  "Why,  Ivo  must  have 
toiled  early  and  late  for  years  to  be  able  to 
so  completely  overstep  the  line  which  divides 
talent  from  genius,"  she  said  to  herself.  That 
the  painting  was  a  masterpiece  Harriet  recog- 
nized at  a  glance.  Hence  partly  her  intense 
feeling  in  the  matter. 

When  Harriet  had  knelt  to  him,  Ivo  was 
instantly  transported  to  the  seventh  heaven  of 
bliss ;  but  presently  he  said  aloud  quite  calmly, 
though  with  evident,  suppressed  emotion: 

"  And  you  like  the  painting,  Harriet, 
really?" 

Harriet  raised  her  tear-stained  face  to  chide 
him  a  little  ere  she  rose. 

"Oh,  Ivo!  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  that 
you  were  already  a  great  artist?  Why  leave 
me  to  find  it  out  in  this  sudden  way,  and  make 
a  fool  of  myself,  as  father  would  say? " 

Having  thus  spoken,  Harriet  with  Ivo's  as- 
sistance rose  and  began  to  smooth  her  hair,  and 
to  assume  her  usual  serene,  dignified  manner. 
Ivo,  observing  that  she  was  a  little  piqued, 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    183 

caught  up  her  hands  and  covered  them  with 
kisses.  Then  he  asked : 

"  Why  do  you  not  deign  to  glance  at  the 
other  two  paintings?  They  are  doubtless  feel- 
ing piqued,  too,  at  your  neglect.  At  least  Z 
am  beginning  to  feel  hurt." 

Ivo  laughed  joyously  and  thus  belied  his 
words. 

"Are  there  others?"  Harriet  inquired, 
glancing  attentively  around  the  room.  If  she 
had  observed  other  pictures  she  had  taken  it 
for  granted  that  they  belonged  to  the  place. 
Now,  noticing  a  couple  more  paintings  as 
large  and  handsomely  framed  as  the  one  she 
had  been  observing,  she  proceeded  to  examine 
the  nearest  one.  Hardly  had  her  eye  rested 
upon  it  than  she  laughed  merrily.  The  color- 
ing was  rich,  even  gorgeous ;  the  scene  lively-^ 
charming,  while  underneath  one  could  read  in 
Ivo's  artistic  scrawl,  "Kiss  and  make  up!" 
In  this  painting  there  were  no  spectators,  only 
Ivo  and  Harriet  evidently  on  the  best  of  terms. 
On  the  wall,  back  of  Ivo's  couch,  hung  some 
tapestry  gay  with  lively  colors,  depicting  a 


• 


184    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

verdant^jove^sc^ie.  Ivo  was  represented  re- 
clining in  a  nest  of  handsome  pillows,  each 
covered  with  rich  material,  painted  and  dec- 
orated in  antique  designs ;  also  he  himself  was 
arrayed  in  a  resplendent  dressing  gown,  only  a 
part  of  which  was  visible.  Other  artistic  orna- 
ments, pieces  of  sculpture,  bits  of  painting, 
etc.,  to  be  seen  on  wall,  stand  or  shelf, — gifts 
of  his  nurse  Harriet  to  help  him  while  away 
the  time  when  she  was  unavoidably  absent,  and 
keep  his  mind,  too,  off  himself, — were  likewise 
there.  In  this  painting  Harriet  was  shorn  of 
her  nimbus  and  represented  full  of  vitality  and 
strong  youth,  and  with  an  expression  on  her 
face  of  amusement,  intermingled  with  slight 
annoyance,  as  if  she  had  suddenly  been  hurt. 
She  was  glancing  at  plainly  visible  marks  of 
teeth  on  her  hand,  the  fingers  of  which  were 
held  tight  by  Ivo,  who  was  regarding  her  with 
a  laughably  pathetic  glance  on  his  handsome 
face,  just  as  if  he  were  pleading,  "  Kiss  And 
Make  Up."  It  was  a  delightful  work  of  art, 
every  detail  of  which  was  finished  in  as  careful 
a  manner  as  the  first. 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    185 

"  You  are  a  great  genius,  Ivo !  That  is  very 
plain ! "  Having  remarked  thus,  Harriet 
turned  to  give  her  attention  to  the  third  paint- 
ing, wrought  for  her  especial  benefit,  and  to 
accomplish  a  certain  purpose. 

Ah,  that  last  and  third  painting,  how  can  it 
be  described  in  words,  tiny  symbols,  in  black 
on  white!  for  it  depicted  the  parting  scene  of 
the  lovers — Harriet  and  Ivo — just  when  Har- 
riet was  saying  to  herself,  "  How  hard  to  give 
up  this  new  and  exquisite  love  that  has  created 
a  new  world  for  me,  and  made  of  me  a  new 
creature.  But  I  must  be  true  to  my  dear 
father  who  has  been  so  true  to  me."  She  was 
not  aware  how  she  looked  as  these  thoughts 
passed  through  her  mind.  She  only  felt  how 
difficult  it  was  to  breathe  for  a  time.  But  Ivo 
had  caught  the  look  of  renunciation  which  had 
paled  her  face  and  at  the  same  time  caused  it 
to  shine,  as  she  said  with  great  tenderness  to 
her  lover — with  outstretched  arms  and  a  look 
of  despair  on  his  face — "  Ivo — mio — be  as 
brave  in  love  as  in  war." 

Yes,  it  was  all  there!  deep,  unchangeable 


186    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

love,  united  with  renunciation  on  her  part;  and 
love  as  pure  as  deep,  overshadowed  by  despair, 
on  his.  The  painter  had  placed  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  halos  about  the  head  of  Harriet,  whose 
countenance  he  had  made  to  shine  with  a  love 
which  partook  more  of  that  which  is  divine 
than  of  that  which  is  human.  His  own  face 
was  handsome — as  it  could  not  help  being  if 
true  to  nature — but  full  of  the  black  depths  of 
despair. 

As  Harriet  continued  to  gaze  on  this  third 
and  most  wonderful  painting,  big  tears  began 
slowly  to  follow  one  another  down  her  cheeks. 

"Read  what  it  says  at  the  bottom! "  called 
out  Ivo,  who  had  been  a  silent  and  blissful 
spectator. 

"Please  read  aloud,"  he  added  a  moment 
later. 

"Ivo — Mia — Be  As  True  In  Love  As  In 
War,"  read  Harriet  falteringly. 

"What  does  that  mean?"  asked  her  impa- 
tient lover.  "  Come  sit  down  opposite  me  on 
this  easy  chair  where  I  can  have  a  full  view  of 
your  sweet  face." 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    187 

"  Why,  it  means,"  said  Harriet,  unsuspect- 
ingly, "just  what  it  says.  Your  record  for 
bravery  in  war  was  of  the  highest  description, 
I  was  told.  Under  the  circumstances  I  wished 
you  to  make  as  good  a  record  in  respect  to  our 
love  for  one  another,  which  I  feared  was  futile, 
and  therefore  to  be  conquered." 

"  Che!  che!  che!  Pay  attention  to  the  first 
part,  not  the  latter.  Explain,  please,  what  you 
meant  by  associating  two  little  words  of  three 
letters  each,  together,  and  emphasizing  the  sec- 
ond as  you  did.  In  short,  what  did  you  mean 
by  saying,  in  that  serious,  yet  charming  way 
you  have,  when  emotion  stirs  you  deeply  and 
the  words  come  slowly,  as  if  each  were  being 
weighed  before  it  was  uttered — *  Yes,  dearest! ' 
Tell  me  what  you  meant  when  you  said  so 
slowly,  so  emphatically,  *  Ivo,  mio  '?  " 

Ivo  gave  Harriet  a  look,  as  he  finished  speak- 
ing, which  thrilled  her  innermost  being.  She 
blushed  vividly,  as  she  replied,  rather  depre- 
catingly: 

"Ah,  Ivo,  you  must  not  hold  me  respon- 
sible for  the  way  that  little  word  'mio'  es- 


188    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

caped  my  lips.  Truly,  it  emphasized  itself. 
I  was  astonished  at  the  way  it  betrayed 
me!" 

"  Que  fortuna!  It  was  your  heart,  speak- 
ing directly  to  mine  —  in  deadly  despair! 
Why,  do  you  know,  I  must  have  perished — 
become  distracted — but  for  the  solace  that  little 
emphasized  word — r  mio — mine! ' — brought  to 
me,  like  balm  straight  from  Heaven?  Yes, 
jioja  mia!  your  Jieart  that  day  put  in  its  claim, 
and  my  heart  responded  in  perfect  loyalty;  and 
from  that  time  until  I  received  your  cruel  note, 
I  had  the  feeling  that  your  heart  was  mine — as 
mine  was  yours.  In  fede  mia — that  moment 
when  our  hearts  understood  each  other  and 
beat  as  one,  was  a  true  marriage  in  the  sight  of 
Heaven!" 

Ivo  took  Harriet's  hands  firmly  in  his  own, 
and  looked  straight  into  her  beautiful  eyes. 
She  answered  slowly,  as  she  always  did  when 
deeply  stirred: 

"  In  the  sight  of  Heaven — I  think  it  was — 
but  we  are  living  on  earth,  where  it  is  the  cus- 
tom in  your  country  to  have  both  a  civil  and  a 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA    189 

church  marriage.      Here,  only  one  is  oblig- 
atory." 

"  Obligatory!  did  you  say? "  asked  Ivo  with 
burning  eyes  and  hands  that  suddenly  became 
cold  as  ice.  "  Why  obligatory?  " 

"  Oh,  if  you  do  not  do  as  other  people  do, 
especially  in  respect  to  marriage,  everybody — 
press,  pulpit,  society — and  particularly  the  re- 
ligious portion  of  the  people,  proceed  to  tor- 
ture you  with  a  subtil/ty  and  inventive  clever- 
ness truly  diabolical.  They  rob  you  of  your 
good  name!  of  your  means  of  support — when 
possible — and  so  surround  you  with  poisonous 
thoughts  and  diabolical  looks,  that  if  yo 
are  susceptible  you  fall  ill  and  prematurely 
give  up  the  ghost,  or,  perhaps,  commit  sui- 
cide." 

tf  Misericordia!  Cielo!  Under  the  circum- 
stances, how  could  your  father  force  a  dying 
promise  from  you  that  you  would  never  marry? 
Knowing,  too,  that  you  were  in  love  with  me. 
Come,  be  frank  with  me!  Or — Dip  mioj  We 
will  together  leave  this  world  double-quick! 
Intendete?" 


190    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

A  savage  look  came  into  Ivo's  dark  eyes  that 
could  shine  so  tenderly  when  love-filled. 

"  I  understand  you  well,"  replied  Harriet,  as 
she  soothingly  pressed  one  of  his  hands  to  her 
lips.  "  Naturally  I  guessed  his  reasons,  which 
have  been  since  confirmed  by  our  manager, 
Uncle  Billy  Brown.  It  seems  they  talked  our 
love-affair  over  together,  and  reached  the  con- 
clusion that  it  would  not  be  wise  for  you  and 
me  to  marry." 

"Why?"  demanded  Ivo  impatiently  as 
Harriet  paused. 

"  There  were  several  reasons — the  most  im- 
portant being  the  desire  on  my  father's  part 
that  the  daughter  he  had  educated  so  carefully 
to  fill  his  shoes  should  really  do  so.  It  is  a 
business  that  cannot  be  mastered  in  a  day,  and 
many  thousands  are  dependent  on  its  being 
properly  carried  on." 

"  But  I  should  not  have  interfered." 

"  Ah,  but  how  was  poor  father  to  be  made 
sure  of  that  fact?  As  a  rule,  almost  without 
exception,  when  an  American  heiress  marries 
into  the  European  aristocracy,  she  must  give 


AN    AMERICAN   MADONNA     191 

up  all  that  an  American  holds  dear:  country, 
religion,  friends,  family,  and  a  good  deal  of 
hard-won  womanly  independence.  Worst  of 
all,  she  must  see  her  children  bred  aristocrats. 
All  must  go  backward  in  the  scale  of  being 
instead  of  forward.  Of  course  it  would  never 
have  occurred  to  either  father  or  me  to  ask  you 
to  make  sacrifices  for  an  American  girl — who 
is  a  nobody  in  the  eyes  of  haughty,  aristocratic 
Europe." 

"Che!  che!  che!  Had  you  but  consulted 
me,  you  would  have  found  your  Ivo  only  too 
happy  to,  exchange  an  Old  World — full  of 
soldiers,  aristocrats,  priests,  mendicants,  tedi- 
ous conventionalities,  insufferable  banalities, 
undermined  by  warring  anarchistic  elements 
and  overtopped  by  rulers  trembling  in  their 
shoes  and  shorn  of  glory — for  a  New  World! 
Ay,  and  for  the  Great  Republic  itself.  Better 
still,  exchanging  an  Old  Rome,  the  best  part  of 
which  is  underground,  for  the  New  World 
Rome,  with  a  magnificent,  glorious  future 
looming  up  before  her — instead  of  rotting  be- 
hind her.  And  right  here  let  me  prophesy 


192    AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

that  the  glory  and  the  magnificence  of  the  New 
World's  Eternal  City  will  be  as  different  from 
that  of  the  Old  as  a  civilization  reared  by  free- 
men, bearing  within  their  bosoms  the  elixir  of 
love,  is  vitally  different  from  one  that  was 
honeycombed  with  slaves,  poisoning  their  labor 
with  hatred.  But,  listen!  Best  of  all,  I  should 
have  been  eager  to  exchange  any  hopes  I  ever 
had  of  winning  a  conventional,  aristocratic 
mate,  for  an  enterprising  woman  of  the  New 
World — one  who  loves  where  her  heart  points 
the  way,  and  proves  that  she  does  so  by  her  lips 
of  nectar.  Ecco !  give  me  some  more  proof !  " 

Harriet  readily  acquiesced,  being  of  an  ar- 
dent nature  with  but  little  Puritan  blood  in  her 
veins.  Indeed,  if  her  father's  brain  had  de- 
scended to  her,  Harriet's  body  was  replete  with 
the  blood  that  had  made  a  tragedy  of  her 
Italian  mother's  life. 

"  It  is  too  late  to  consider  what  might  have 
been,"  she  said  thoughtfully.  "  The  point  is, 
dare  we  undertake  to  live  together  in  Free 
Union — or,  as  the  dear  public  would  say,  '  In- 
famous Union '?  " 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    193 

"  Why  do  you  ask?  Did  you  not  assure  me, 
a  while_back,  that  '  perfect  love  casteth  out 
fear  '  ? "  quoted  Ivo  triumphantly. 

"  That  is  very  true ;  but  a  famous  woman  of 
world-wide  experience  declares  that  it  is  man's 
nature  to  turn  his  face  to  respectability  as  he 
grows  older,  just  as  surely  as  a  tired  horse 
turns  toward  his  stable.  She  insists  that  a 
person  who  will  risk  living  with  a  man  on  a 
basis  of  love  merely  is  a  very  foolish  person; 
that  if  a  man  cannot  marry  a  woman,  he 
eventually  leaves  her." 

'  Then  you  don't  trust  me,"  said  Ivo  quickly, 
his  eyes  filling  with  tears. 

For  reply,  Harriet  wound  her  arms  about 
his  neck,  and  laid  her  soft  lips  on  his. 

Presently  Ivo  asked  in  much  anxiety,  "  But 
how  shall  we  be  able  to  consider  ourselves  one 
in  fact,  without  any  marriage  ceremony  and 
without  any  fuss? " 

Harriet  smiled  upon  Ivo  so  serenely  that  he 
felt  a  little  as  if  making  much  ado  about  noth- 
ing. Then  she  replied,  quite  seriously,  "  You 
know,  my  dear  Ivo,  that  I  have  been  bred  a 


194    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

business  woman.  That  means  that  I  have  been 
taught  to  accomplish  things  in  the  shortest, 
simplest,  straightest  manner  possible.  We 
will  have  a  simple  home  celebration  of  our  Free 
Union.  Have  you  any  friends  that  you  care 
to  invite  to  this  little  celebration?  " 

"  Under  the  circumstances,  I  think  not. 
They  would  not  understand." 

'  Well,  then,  there  will  be  present  only  the 
members  of  our  Family  of  Friends.  They 
will  understand,  because  I  have  beat  it  into 
them,  and  already  the  fainting  and  hysterical 
spells  on  the  part  of  the  Twins  are  a  thing  of 
the  past." 

Before  Ivo  asked  the  next  question  he 
dropped  gracefully  on  his  knees  by  the  side  of 
Harriet,  took  both  her  hands,  placing  them 
together  in  the  form  of  prayer,  as  if  silently 
invoking  their  aid,  then  asked  in  a  pleading 
voice: 

"  Madonna  mia!  I  pray  you  have  mercy  on 
your  patient  lover,  and  let  this  celebration  take 
place  in  a  few  days,  or  a  week  hence,  at  the 
farthest." 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    195 

"  It  shall  be  a  week  hence,"  said  Harriet  as 
she  stooped  over  and  kissed,  in  a  dainty  man- 
ner, Ivo's  handsome,  Raphael  brow.  Then  she 
said  in  her  rapid,  business  tones,  after  consult- 
ing her  watch : 

"Ah,  me!  I  must  be  going."  Both  rose 
together,  and  as  Harriet  walked  toward  the 
wonderful  paintings  for  a  parting  glance,  she 
sighed  deeply,  and  murmured: 

"  How  can  I  leave  these  beautiful,  beautiful 
paintings!  "  She  began  to  admire  them  anew. 
Presently  she  said,  as  she  turned  to  Ivo  with 
tear-filled  eyes: 

"  Surely,  Ivo  mio,  you  will  devote  your  God- 
given  genius  to  art? " 

"  To  art  and  to  the  American  Madonna  who 
loves  me,  as  I  never  dreamed  I  could  be  loved 
by  womankind,  and  who  has  been  my  inspira- 
tion," the  young  artist  replied,  with  a  look  of 
adoration. 


CHAPTER   XIV 


Raphael's     Marriage  of  tin-   I'irgin'" 


CHAPTER  XIV 

IVO  had  just  finished  his  elegant  Free 
Union  toilette  in  his  apartment  and 
was  turning  away  from  his  mirror, 
wondering  what  made  "that  beast 
of  a  driver"  so  late,  when  he  heard  a  knock 
at  the  door.      He  was  so  glad  to  perceive 
the  delinquent  had  arrived,  that  he  forgot  to 
"  give  him  the  devil,"  as  he  intended  doing  a 
few  moments  previous.     On  the  contrary  he 
smiled,  thus  causing  the  smiled  upon  to  say  to 
himself: 

"Gosh!  I  should  say  this  'ere  fellow  was 
in  a  pictur'  did  I  not  see  him  with  these  eyes  in 
the  flesh." 

In  no  long  time  Ivo  and  his  attendant  and 
baggage  had  arrived  at  Harriet's  fine  old  man- 
sion. Here  the  door  was  opened  by  the  mis- 
tress herself,  arrayed  in  a  beautiful  lace- 
trimmed  ivory  satin  gown.  She  did  not  wish 
Ivo  to  be  made  nervous  by  having  to  face 


199 


200    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

strangers  before  they  took  their  places  under 
"  Liberty  Tree  " — hence  her  playing  the  part 
of  doorkeeper  on  this  eventful  evening. 

Harriet  ordered  "  John  "  to  take  Ivo's  lug- 
gage upstairs,  after  which  her  lover  got  his 
coveted  kiss.  They  then,  also,  more  leisurely 
followed  the  attendant  to  the  second  story  of 
her  home.  After  this  individual  had  finished 
playing  his  little  part  and  gone  his  way  de- 
lighted with  the  extra  tip  Ivo  gave  him,  and 
the  lovers  had  been  lavish  with  praise  in  respect 
to  the  appearance  each  presented  on  this  fateful 
evening,  Harriet  said  laughingly: 

"  And  now,  my  dear  Ivo,  be  as  brave  in  our 
Free  Union  Celebration,  as  in  war!" 

"  Altro  I  Come  down  to  details.  What  am 
I  to  do  in  that  room  down  stairs  where  your 
confederates  are  bunched  together  ready  to 
glare  upon  that '  brainless  fop,'  that '  sneaking 
fortune-hunter,'  that  'incorrigible  gambler.' 
that  '  Italian  sentimentalist  with  a  childlike 
ignorance  of  the  seventh  commandment/ 
that " 

Here  Ivo  had  to  stop  short  from  the  fact 


that  Harriet's  strong,  yet  soft  hand  was  placed 
inconveniently  across  his  mouth.  She  held  it 
there  fully  a  second,  laughing  merrily  as  she 
did  so.  When  she  removed  her  palm  Ivo  was 
in  a  better  mood,  though  he  said,  rather  petu- 
lantly: 

T"  /*  V^- 

You  have  got  me  in  a  hole.  Now 


you  must  help  me  out." 

Harriet,  perceiving  that  Ivo  was  really  rat- 
tled, said,  very  sympathetically: 

"  Why,  Ivo,  I  thought  you  knew  how  Amer- 
cans  proceed  when  they  do  things  in  a  truly 
American  spirit.  First  they  decorate  a  hall, 
or  big  room,  with  flags,  bunting  and  Ameri- 
can heroes  —  some  of  them:  usually  George 
Washington,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Abraham 
Lincoln.  Well,  I  have  had  our  big  double 
drawing-rooms  down  stairs  handsomely  draped 
with  several  fine  specimens  of  our  gay  flag  and 
plenty  of  bunting.  Next,  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  paintings  removed  to  give  place  for 
splendfjfd  engravings  of  Paine,  Washington, 
Jefferson,  Franklin,  Jackson,  Emerson.  Also 
of  Garibaldi  and  Mazzini,  and,  as  if  that  were 


not  enough,  I  had  set  up  in  the  big  front  bay 
window  a  Thomas  Paine  sort  of  Liberty  Tree. 
We  are  to  take  our  places  under  this  tree,  all 
loaded  with  gifts — which  have  been  pouring  in 
for  several  days.  Of  course  Uncle  Billy — who 
could  never  keep  anything  quiet — has  been 
babbling  right  and  left.  But  that  is  all  right ! 
Our  Free  Union  Celebration  was  bound  to  be- 
come public  property — and,  the  sooner  the  bet- 
ter, I  am  sure." 

"  Ah,  but  Harriet,  it  is  doubtless  easy  enough 
for  a  speech-bred  American  to  concoct  on  his 
feet  a  neat,  spread-eagle  talk.  But  I  was  bred 
a  soldier.  My  business  was  to  fight.  How 
can  I  make  a  speech? " 

"  Why,  there  was  Napoleon,  bred  a  soldier 
likewise,  also  an  Italian  by  birth,  who  could 
fight  and  talk  with  equal  brevity  and  forceful- 
ness  ;  a  conqueror  with  words  no  less  than  with 
arms.  You  need  only  say  a  few  words." 

"  Altro  I  Suppose  on  this  occasion  my 
tongue  is  tied  so  tight  in  my  mouth  I  can't 
speak  at  all.  What  then,  cara  mia? " 

At  this  point  Ivo  dropped  on  a  sofa  near  by, 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    203 

and  lay  back  looking  for  all  the  world  as  if  in 
a  dead  faint.  Harriet,  suspecting  it  was  but  a 
bit  of  clever  Italian  acting,  got  a  fan  and 
wielded  it  so  vigorously  as  to  tumble  his  won- 
derful bronze-gold  locks  in  every  direction, 
making  his  head  appear  as  if  a  cyclone  had 
struck  it.  Ivo  opened  his  eyes  without  loss 
of  time,  and  grabbed  the  hand  which  was 
doing  such  damage  to  his  carefully  arranged, 
ambrosial  locks.  This  he  held  so  tight  for  an 
instant  that  Harriet  perforce  gave  a  little 
shriek.  After  making  good  by  releasing  her 
hand  with  a  kiss,  he  said  laughingly: 

"  It  is  my  belief  that  American  women  are 
growing  too  clever.  Religion  and  Law  must 
get  busy  again.  What  a  pity  I  cannot  marry 
you  in  the  good,  old-fashioned  wray!" 

After  speaking  these  words,  and  accom- 
panying them  with  a  look  amusingly  pathetic, 
Ivo  turned  to  a  glass  and  carefully  rearranged 
his  rather  long  locks  in  an  artistic  manner. 
Harriet  meanwhile  observed,  "  I  have  always 
understood  that  there  are  two  situations 
wherein  men  are  invariably  cowards." 


204    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"What  are  they?"  queried  Ivo,  glancing 
from  the  glass  to  Harriet. 

"  One  is  that  which  you  find  yourself  facing 
to-night.  The  other  is  where  a  man  becomes 
panic-stricken  not  when  he  mounts  his  charger 
for  battle,  but  a  dental  chair!" 

"  Altro  1 "  said  Ivo,  turning  a  pallid  face 
to  Harriet,  and  afterwards  re-seating  himself 
by  her  side.  "  I  could  have  all  my  teeth  pulled 
and  not  suffer  as  I  am  doing  now." 

"  Ah,  what  a  pity  that  would  be !  You  have 
such  perfect  ones.  I  suppose  Italians  have 
the  finest  teeth  in  the  world  and  Americans 
the  poorest.  Therefore  what  would  be  a  tragic 
situation  for  an  American,  an  Italian  could 
not  even  understand." 

"  And  not  understanding  cannot  appreciate, 
eh ?  But — Dio  Mio!  help  me  out  of  my  misery ! 
That  big  room,  or  rooms,  down  stairs  has  got 
to  be  charged,  its  inmates  conquered,  put  to 
the  sword,  or  to  rout,  or  made  prisoners  of, 
or  done  something  with — I  don't  know  what. 
In  the  name  of  sweet  peace — or,  of  liberty, 
if  you  prefer — teach  me  how  to  play  my  little 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    205 

part  down  below.  If  now  we  were  going 
through  the  form  usual  on  such  occasions  as 
this,  I  could  have  got  the  thing  down  fine; 
have  made  the  responses  in  a  dignified  manner ; 
have  kissed  women  relatives  with  grace  and 
listened  becomingly  to  a  thousand  more  or  less 
congratulations — even  concocted  suitable  re- 
plies. But  here  is  a  new  situation,  so  appal- 
lingly " 

"  Simple!  "  interjected  Harriet. 

"  Che!  che!  chej  let  me  finish  properly.  So 
appallingly  new  and  therefore  difficult." 

"  Not  at  all,  Ivo,  caro.  All  we  need  do  is 
to  walk  through  the  hall  door — which  I  will 
open — and  then  a  short  distance  to  where  the 
Liberty  Tree  looms  up  in  the  front  bay  win- 
dow. Underneath  its  ample  branches  we  take 
our  stand.  If,  when  there,  you  find  yourself 
too  embarrassed  to  say  anything — why  you 
know  a  woman's  tongue  is  hung  in  the  middle. 
Come  along  now,  we  must  not  stand  shivering 
on  the  bank  any  longer." 

As  Harriet  finished  speaking  she  took  one 
of  her  lover's  hands  firmly  in  her  own,  and  to- 


206    AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

gether  they  walked  down  the  stairs  and  soon 
were  standing  under  the  "  Liberty  Tree,"  a 
couple  of  rare  beauty,  Ivo's  pallor  making  him 
look  more  like  a  Greek  god  than  ever,  while 
Harriet,  in  her  queenly  robe,  trimmed  with  old, 
Italian  lace — a  present  from  Ivo,  as  were  like- 
wise the  antique  jewels  she  wore.,  looked  every 
inch  a  queen. 

Feeling  Ivo's  hand  become  deadly  cold  in 
hers,  Harriet  turned  about  and  looked  him 
bravely  in  the  face.  As  she  did  so  she  slowly 
repeated  in  her  firm,  even  tones: 

"  Ivo,  mio,  let  us  ever  love  each  other  so 
truly  that, 

*  Our  work  shall  be  the  better,  for  our  love, 
And  still  our  love  be  sweeter,  for  our  work.'  " 

By  this  time  Ivo  was  rapidly  recovering  from 
his  attack  of  stage  fright.  He  found  his  lips 
sufficiently  pliable  to  begin  his  little  speech, 
though  he  spoke  at  first  very  haltingly. 

"Dear — Family — of  Friends.  You  are 
aware  that,  under  the  circumstances,  Harriet 
and  myself  cannot  make  what  is  termed  a 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    207 

legal  marriage.  We  believe,  however,  that  the 
Great  Spirit  of  Love  has  joined  our  hearts  in 
an  unbreakable  union — and  that  whom  God 
hath  joined  man  cannot  put  asunder.  Feeling 
thus  we  begin  our  united  life  full  of  sacred 
joy  as  well  as  of  love  and  trust.  On  the  thresh- 
old of  our  new  and  more  complete  existence 
we  pause,  hoping  to  receive  your  cordial  con- 
gratulations and  hearty  God-speed." 

"Bravo!  bravo!"  repeated  Harriet,  as  Ivo 
finished,  at  the  same  time  flinging  her  arms 
about  his  neck  and  giving  him  several  exuber- 
ant kisses.  Ivo  blushed  like  a  school-boy,  and 
came  near  forgetting  to  place  a  very  beautiful 
ring,  set  with  the  birthstones  of  himself  and 
Harriet,  on  her  finger.  When,  at  length,  this 
was  accomplished,  the  happy  couple  found 
themselves  surrounded  by  a  smiling  group  to 
whom  Harriet  introduced  Ivo  as  "  Captain 
Bruno,  of  whom  you  have  heard  me  speak. 
He  is  embodied  Art,  Romance  and  Love — an 
acquisition."  Then  she  said,  laughingly,  "  Ivo, 
you  kiss  the  women,  and  I  will  kiss  the  men." 

Her  lover,  nothing  loath,  approached  the 


208    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

Twins,  and  as  he  did  so,  Harriet  admonished 
him: 

"  Kiss  them  good!  I  doubt  if  they  have  ever 
been  kissed  decently  in  all  their  lives.  Ameri- 
can men  don't  know  how  to  kiss." 

The  Twins  blushed  deeply  as  Ivo  approached 
them.  Under  the  circumstances  Captain 
Bruno  felt  obliged  to  make  a  little  speech  in 
order  to  pave  the  way  for  the  kisses;  and  as 
he  had  gotten  confidence  by  the  one  just  made, 
he  said,  impulsively  and  charmingly: 

"  Now  I  am  going  to  treat  you  just  as  I 
do  my  Aunt  Helena,  one  of  the  best  women 
in  the  world."  Thus  speaking,  he  threw  his 
arms  about  the  necks  of  each  one  in  turn  and 
gave  each  frightened  woman  of  Puritan 
descent  two  warm  Italian  kisses  apiece ;  one  on 
each  side  of  their  mouths.  Then  he  completed 
the  conquest  of  their  hearts  by  telling  them 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  rob  them  of  any  of 
their  portion  of  Harriet's  affection — that  he 
was  quite  satisfied  with  the  new  place  he  him- 
self had  won  by  pluck  and  perseverance.  Need- 
less to  assert  that  from  this  time  on — until  he 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    209 

went  to  Rome  seven  years  later — Ivo  had  not 
two  firmer  friends  than  the  Twins. 

Ivo  was  surprised  to  find  in  the  wake  of  the 
Twins,  a  charming  brunette  whom  Harriet 
had  not  mentioned  as  being  present,  and  whom 
he  had  not  observed  until  this  moment.  She 
was  young  and  beautiful  and  blushing  mod- 
estly as  Ivo's  dark  eyes  fell  upon  her.  '  What 
to  do  now? "  It  was  one  thing  to  kiss  elderly 
ladies,  members  of  one's  family,  and  quite 
another  to  offer  so  intimate  a  caress  to  a  beauti- 
ful young  woman  of  whom  one  knows  nothing. 
Of  course,  the  fact  that  she  was  present  on 
this  occasion  and  evidently  on  terms  of  inti- 
macy with  Harriet's  Family  of  Friends,  spoke 
volumes.  Nevertheless  Ivo  was  nonplussed  at 
this  new  situation  so  suddenly  sprung  on  him. 
He  said,  rather  awkwardly — for  him  who  was 
usually  so  gallant  and  graceful  in  society : 

"  Did  Harriet  know  you  were  here  when 
she  told  me  to  kiss  the  women? " 

"  I  don't  think  so.    I  slipped  in  late." 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  I'll  dare  to  kiss  you 
then — only  this  lovely,  artistic  palm."  Thus 


210    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

speaking  he  caught  up  one  of  sweet  Lucy 
Myers'  pretty  hands  and  deposited  a  kiss  upon 
it  in  true  knightly  style.  Then  Ivo  turned  to 
greet  the  two  men,  Uncle  Jerry  and  Uncle 
Billy,  whom  Harriet  had  been  having  a  lot  of 
fun  with,  because  when  she  came  to  kiss  her 
manager,  he  had  insisted  on  having  just  as 
many  kisses  as  had  fallen  to  Ivo's  share  when 
through  with  his  Free  Union  Celebration 
speech.  Next  Uncle  Jerry,  always  a  little 
jealous  of  "  Bill,"  declared  that  he  too  must 
be  generously  dealt  with  on  this  wonderful  oc- 
casion. 

But,  at  length,  all  the  kisses  and  caresses  and 
hearty  congratulations  had  been  given,  as  well 
as  the  dinner — served  immediately  afterwards 
— done  full  justice  to.  Then  Harriet  rose,  say- 
ing to  Ivo  seated  by  her  side,  but  loud  enough 
for  all  to  hear: 

"We  must  hasten  upstairs  and  get  into 
something  stout  and  durable.  By  that  time 
the  carriage  will  be  at  the  door  to  take  us  to 
the  depot.  Don't  let  us  disturb  the  rest  of 
you,  unless  it  be  Lucy,  whom  I  should  really 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    211 

like  to  have  assist  me  out  of  my  rather  com- 
plicated satin  robe." 

Lucy  rose  with  alacrity,  also  Billy  Brown, 
the  latter  offering  to  perform  the  same  office 
for  Ivo  that  Lucy  was  to  undertake  for  Har- 
riet. But  Ivo  declared  he  needed  no  assistance, 
having  been  bred  a  military  man,  and  taught  to 
wait  on  himself  while  very  young. 

The  three  proceeded  upstairs  to  the  apart- 
ments formerly  occupied  by  Harriet's  father 
and  herself.  The  large,  comfortable  front 
room  with  its  great  bay  window  had  been  her 
father's  favorite  room.  The  pieces  of  furni- 
ture he  used  most  had  been,  since  his  death, 
removed  to  a  room  on  the  upper  floor  which 
Harriet  called  her  "  Holy  of  Holies."  Here 
she  came  every  day  for  a  space  of  time,  longer 
or  shorter  as  could  be  spared,  to  read  in  the 
books  they  both  had  loved,  and  ere  she  locked 
the  door  to  return  whence  she  came,  she  knelt 
in  prayer,  pleading  that  she  might  be  just  as 
true  to  work  and  duty  now  as  when  her  father's 
watchful  glance  was  upon  her. 

On  the  same  floor,  where  the  light  was  just 


212    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

right,  a  couple  of  rooms  had  been  metamor- 
phosed by  skillful  hands  into  a  charming,  well- 
appointed  studio  for  Ivo.  Metamorphosis 
likewise  had  overtaken  the  great,  fine  front 
room  on  the  second  floor.  To  see  it,  as  the 
trio  of  people  now  entering  saw  it,  one  would 
never  have  guessed  how  comfortable,  how 
American  it  had  looked  only  a  short  while 
ago.  Now  it  reminded  one  of  Italy  during  her 
greatest  period,  that  of  the  Renaissance — for 
Harriet  had  transferred  to  this  finely  propor- 
tioned, elegant  room  many  of  the  finest  things 
of  that  period,  which  she  and  her  father  had 
been  able  to  secure  during  various  vacations 
spent  in  European  art  centers.  As  Ivo  ex- 
amined with  Harriet  and  Lucy  one  after  an- 
other of  the  exquisite  and  rare  objets  d?artf 
and  was  astonished  at  the  taste  displayed  as  to 
their  arrangement,  he  more  than  once  pressed 
Harriet's  hand,  not  daring  to  offer  a  more  ar- 
dent tribute  of  praise  and  appreciation  with  a 
third  party  present. 

When  Harriet  flung  open  the  massive  double 
doors  leading  to  the  next  room,  Ivo's  eye  fast- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    213 

ened  on  various  locks  which,  when  in  use,  must 
offer  a  stout  resistance  to  anyone  desirous 
of  passing  from  the  front  parlor  to  its  com- 
panion room. 

"  These  must  all  be  removed,"  said  Ivo  with 
emphasis.  "  No  locks  between  you  and  me," 
he  added  recklessly. 

Harriet  smiled  her  wise,  inscrutable  smile, 
but  said  nothing. 

Ivo's  next  remark,  as  he  glanced  into  Har- 
riet's private  parlor,  was,  "Chielo!  What  a 
thief  you  must  be,  Harriet!  Evidently  you 
have  robbed  Mt.  Olympus  of  every  one  of  its 
gods  and  goddesses! " 

"  Besides  robbing  Rome  of  her  most  perfect 
one  in  flesh!  "  added  Harriet,  laughing.  Then 
she  said,  after  consulting  her  watch,  "  Do  you 
know,  Ivo,  we  must  banish  you  to  your  own 
quarters,  and  make  a  lightning  change  of  rai- 
ment? It  is  high  time  we  were  ready  for  our 
little  trip." 

When  Ivo  had  meekly  obeyed  and  was  safe 
over  his  threshold,  Harriet  proceeded  to  thrice 
lock  the  door,  remarking  to  Lucy  as  she  did  so : 


214    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"  'Tis  better  to  begin  with  your  sweetheart 
as  you  mean  to  hold  out.  Teach  him  that  a 
woman  has  some  personal  rights  as  well  as  a 
man.  He  will  respect  you  the  more,  and  love 
you  the  better." 

Lucy  smiled,  but  wondered  how  Harriet 
could  ever  dream  of  turning  a  key  on  so  ador- 
able a  lover  as  charming  Captain  Bruno;  or, 
as  he  was  called  among  his  aristocratic  asso- 
ciates, "  Conte  Bruno."  Sweet,  innocent  Lucy! 
Never  as  yet  had  she  come  into  contact  with 
the  artistic  temperament!  Ah,  never  as  yet 
had  she  dreamed  to  what  heights  and  depths 
of  folly  such  a  temperament  can  rise  or  de- 
scend to  when  played  on  by  passion! 

After  Harriet  and  Ivo  had  departed  on  their 
Yp  vacation  trip,  and  swjjejjjucy  Myers  had  gone 
to  bed,  the  White  Family  of  Friends  under- 
took to  talk  over  the  present  situation  which 
the  Twins  still  regarded  as  a  very  demoralizing 
one,  notwithstanding  the  good  impression  Ivo 
had  produced  on  them.  Said  Billy  Brown : 

"  Captain  Bruno  is  in  love  with  our  Harriet 
all  right,  and  must  suit  her  right  down  to  the 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    215 

ground,  for  he  has  the  form  of  a  Greek  god, 
which  she  so  admires."  Having  thus  spoken 
Billy  indulged  in  one  of  his  chuckling  laughs. 

"  And  the  face  of  a  Raphael,"  added  Celia. 
"  But  don't  you  think,  Mr.  Brown,  that  it  is 
very  hazardous  for  our  sweet  Harriet  to  live 
with  a  man  in  so  loose  a  bond?  Why,  he  can 
walk  off  any  day  he  likes!  There  is  nothing 
to  hinder  him!  No  Law,  no  Religion — noth- 
ing. Harriet  has  no  string  on  him,  whatever !  " 

Delia  burst  in  before  Billy  Brown  could  re- 
move his  fat  cigar  to  reply: 

'  Why,  that  great  lecturer  who  knows  so 
much  about  European  men  and  Englishmen, 
declares  that  the  former  don't  pretend  to  care 
for  their  wives  because  the  dowry  system  kills 
love,  while  the  latter,  though;  he  marries  for 
love,  is  quite  tired  of  his^  wife  in  five  years. 
Then  he  adds  that  men  are  natural  born  po- 
lygamists,  which  is  the  real  reason  why  the 
priests — who  are  men,  in  a  way — have  given 
Christendom  an  indissoluble  marriage  system. 
By  its  aid  a  woman  having  once  got  a  man  to 
the  marriage  altar,  can  keep  her  place  as  his 


216    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

wife  as  long  as  she  lives,  and  make  him  support 
their  children.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that 
the  majority  of  men  remain  '  true  to  their 
wives,'  as  we  say,  simply  because  they  are 
bound  to  them  by  religion,  custom  and  public 
opinion.  In  short,  they  dare  not  be  otherwise 
than  good  husbands.  Now,  suppose  this  hand- 
some Captain,  this  aristocratic  sprig  of  the  Ro- 
man aristocracy,  gets  tired  of  our  Harriet  and 
runs  away " 

"Let  him  run!"  laconically  put  in  big 
Billy. 

"  Ah,  but  stop  and  think  a  moment.  Our 
poor  dear  Harriet  might  have  a  child  by  him. 
How  awful  would  be  her  fate!  To  be  de- 
serted, with  a  fatherless  child  on  her  hands ! " 

Celia  began  to  wipe  her  eyes,  which  fact 
filled  Jerry  and  Billy  with  apprehension. 
Nevetheless,  the  latter  answered  stoutly: 

"Well,  what  of  that?  Undoubtedly  the 
child  would  be  a  child  worth  having,  being  love 
begot,  because  it  is  easy  to  see  that  these  two 
adore  each  other  now.  Children  born  under 
such  conditions  represent  the  union  of  their 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    217 

parents  at  their  best,  and  are  apt  to  be  lovely 
in  countenance,  fine  in  character  and  full  of 
vitality.  Our  Harriet  is  no  fool.  She  will 
put  in  her  claim  for  a  child — and  she  is  a  born 
madonna — while  Ivo  is  in  his  most  adoring  and 
adorable  mood." 

"  Oh,"  said  Celia,  in  a  voice  that  broke  as 
she  proceeded,  "  but  the  suffering  of  our  poor 
dear  Harriet  when  this  love  turns  cold!" 

Again  she  buried  her  face  in  her  handker- 
chief and  silently  wept.  Jeremiah,  fearing 
that  he  and  "  Bill "  might  presently  have  the 
Twins  repeating  their  fainting  and  hysterical 
spells  on  their  hands  with  no  Harriet  to  help 
them  out,  here  spoke  up,  in  his  jerky  way: 

"  But — married  life  has  its  suffering,  too— 
as  I  happen  to  know." 

"  Oh,  well!  but  it  is  a  different  kind  of  suf- 
fering. You  get,  if  respectably  married,  re- 
spect and  sympathy,"  triumphantly  asserted 
Delia. 

"  And  alimony  from  the  one  kicked  out  of 
sight,"  added  Jeremiah  bitterly. 

This  speech  acted  like  a  red  rag  displayed  in 


218    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

the  face  of  a  bull  on  Delia,  who  screamed  rather 
than  said: 

"  Keep  still!    You're  nobody! " 

Under  the  circumstances,  with  no  Mr.  White 
or  Harriet  to  keep  the  peace,  Jeremiah  would 
have  done  well  to  have  done  as  Delia  ordered 
him  to  do.  But  he  could  not  forbear  say- 
ing: 

"  I  was  somebody — till  I  got  married."  This 
proved  too  much  for  the  sisters,  already  worn 
to  the  limit  of  endurance.  They  started  im- 
mediately and  obstreperously  from  their  seats, 
and  swiftly  approached  the  now  cowering  Jere- 
miah. They  stopped  only  when  they  had 
reached  his  feet,  which  he  immediately  drew 
under  his  chair,  there  being  more  than  one  corn 
on  them.  And  it  was  well  that  he  did  so,  for 
Delia  stamped  her  foot  in  a  reckless  way,  and 
also  shook  her  long  forefinger  menacingly, 
while  she  poured  out  vials  of  wrath  on  Jere- 
miah's bald  pate. 

"  It  is  you  who  are  to  blame  for  the  awful 
mess  we  find  ourselves  in.  Yes,  it  is  you,  and 
you  alone  who  are  responsible  for  the  fact  that 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    219 

Harriet  knows  nothing  that  she  should  know, 
and  everything  that  she  shouldn't  know.  My, 
you  have  been  teaching  her  a  dozen  years  or 
more,  and  what  is  the  result?  " 

Delia  paused  for  breath  while  Celia  an- 
swered: "The  result  is  that  our  poor,  dear 
Harriet  is  a  rebel  against  all  law,  all  religion 
and  social  order.  She  is  an  outcast,  and 
Heaven's  thunderbolts  will  fall  and  destroy 
her  sooner  or  later.  Oh,  you  wretched  man !  I 
could  tear  you  limb  from  limb;  I  could  cut 
you  up  in  small  pieces;  I  could  apply  hot 
pinchers  to  your  flesh.  I  could " 

At  this  point  Billy  Brown  felt  himself  called 
upon  to  interfere  in  behalf  of  Jeremiah. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  in  his  stentorian  voice, 
which  he  used  with  good  effect  when  aroused, 
"  quit  your  squabbling.  What's  done  can't  be 
undone.  If  Harriet  has  learned  to  know  and 
manage  many  men  with  rare  skill  in  a  business 
relation,  rest  assured  that  she  will  know  how  to 
manage  one  in  a  domestic  way.  It  is  because 
men  and  women  know  so  little  about  each 
other's  natures  when  they  marry,  that  terrible 


220    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

misunderstandings  often  follow  marriage. 
Come,  Jeremiah,  let's  off  to  bed."  ^ ', 

Jeremiah  followed  big  Billy  Brown  out.the 
front  drawing-room  with  alacrity.  The  Twins 
had  given  him  enough  excitement  and  dramatic 
change  for  one  night. 

Probably  Jeremiah  Jordan  never  was  con- 
scious of  the  debt  he  owed  these  two  mature 
New  England  women,  having  great  learning 
of  a  certain  conventional  kind,  with  energetic 
natures,  triumphantly  clean,  inspiringly  good 
cooks,  and  with  tongues  that  kept  him  from 
stagnating.  Indeed,  his  wits  had  been  sharp- 
ened not  a  little  in  the  word  battles  which  took 
place  now  and  then  over  the  dining-table,  be- 
tween himself  and  them,  with  Mr.  White  egg- 
ing him  on  and  occasionally  when  "  poor 
Jerry  "  was  getting  the  worst  of  it,  coming  to 
his  assistance.  On  these  occasions  Harriet  was 
overlooked,  regarded  as  a  negligible  factor,  be- 
cause, as  a  rule,  she  merely  listened.  But,  ah, 
she  was  a  good  listener!  and,  who  knows  what 
conclusions  she  drew  concerning  great,  per- 


AN    AMERICAN   MADONNA    221 

haps  never-to-be-settled  vital  questions,  such 
as  Marriage,  Divorce — Is  Christianity  a  Prac- 
tical Religion?  and  if  not,  Will  It  Be  Super- 
seded by  Science? — What  is  Socialism? — Is  it 
a  Foreign  Importation  Like  Christianity? 


CHAPTER  XV 


But  he  (Boyesen)  mas  proud  of  his  American 
citizenship;  he  knew  all  that  it  meant,  at  its 
best,  for  humanity.  He  divined  that  the  true 
expression  of  America  was  not  civic,  not  social, 
but  domestic  almost,  and  that  the  people  in  the 
simplest  homes,  or  those  who  remained  in  the 
tradition  of  a  simple  home  life,  were  the  true 
Americans  as  yet,  whatever  the  future  Ameri- 
cans might  be. 

W.  D.  HOWELLS  in  Literary  Friends  and 
A  cquaintances. 


CHAPTER   XV 

IVO  and  Harriet  sped  a  few  miles  on 
an  express  train,  then  were  rapidly 
driven  to  a  dainty  suburban  hotel, 
where  they  registered  as  "  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bruno." 

"  I  suppose  this  good  proprietor  would  po- 
litely assure  us,  '  There  are  no  vacant  rooms 
at  present,'  if  he  knew  the  law  had  not  been 
invoked  to  bind  us  in  an  indissoluble  marriage 
for  better  or  worse  so  long  as  we  live." 

This  remark  Harriet  made  to  her  sweet- 
heart, sotto  voce,  so  as  not  to  be  overheard 
by  the  clerk,  who  was  preceding  them  to  their 
rooms. 

niio  !  this  Free  Union  business  is  bound 


to  yield  a  puzzling  amount  of  dramatic  situa- 
tions ;  but  I  fear  nothing  with  you,  Harriet  — 
for  you  do  not  seem  to  know  what  fear  is.  Be- 
sides, you  have  a  wonderful  way  of  being  equal 
to  each  new  situation  as  it  shows  jup."  Ivo 

"~  ' 


225 


\j/( 


226    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

raised  the  hand  he  held  to  his  lips  and  kissed  it 
ardently. 

[<  Thanks,  my  Ivo.  It  is  delightful  to  enter 
upon  our  new  life  with  an  abundance  of  faith. 
We  shall  doubtless  need  every  particle  of  it, 
because,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  my  mother 
was  Italian,  I  have  been  toed  from  childhood 
up,  to  eliminate  romance  and  keep  my  eyes 
glued  on  the  business  side  of  life.  This  means 
much  annoyance  for  you  and  the  development 
of  patience." 

By  this  time  the  clerk  had  unlocked  the  door 
of  their  pretty  suite  of  roomsyafwl^hen  he  had  / 
lit  the  gas  and  seen  that  all  was  in  order,  riuietry  ' 
took  his  departure.  Scarcely  had  the  door 
closed  than  Harriet's  sweetheart  grabbed  her 
and  gave  her  an  embrace  which  only  a  robust 
woman  could  have  endured  without  emitting 
a  tell-tale  shriek.  Then  he  said  as  he  de- 
voured her  with  his  thrilling  glance  —  and  after- 
wards with  his  perfect  lips  —  "  At  last  you  are 
mine,  mine,  mine!  Now  I  know  that  God's 
other  name  is  Rapture!  And  that  we  are  his 
children!" 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA    227 

But,  alas,  while  Ivo  and  Harriet  are  enjoy- 
ing their  new-born  Paradise,  another  couple, 
not  a  stone's  throw  away,  are  sleepless  with 
perplexity  and  anguish.  They  are  in  receipt 
of  "  dear  Harriet's  letter  "  apprising  them  of 
her  intention  of  forming  a  Free  Union  with 
her  Ivo,  since  her  promise  to  her  dying  father 
makes  a  bona  fide  marriage  impossible.  The 
letter  went  on  to  state  how  much  she  wanted  to 
show  them  her  sweetheart — as  handsome  a  man 
as  grew  above  ground!  But,  having  done  so, 
and  knowing  how  truly  sincere  they  were  in 
respect  to  the  need  and  wisdom  of  the  indis- 
soluble form  of  marriage,  and  realizing  the 
pain  they  must  feel  to  see  one  who  had  long 
been  dear  to  them  living  in  what  they  must  con- 
sider an  unholy  manner,  they  would  not  re- 
main over  night. 

How  this  dear  old  orthodox  couple  did  wres- 
tle in  prayer  on  the  receipt  of  this  astounding 
letter!  They  had  long  been  tenants  of  Har- 
riet's father.  Indeed,  for  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury they  had  made  a  living  and  a  competence 
for  old  age  by  taking  care  of — and  raising 


228    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

produce  on — the  picturesque  birthplace  of  Mr. 
White.  They  had  watched  the  "  little  one," 
which  his  runaway  wife  had  given  him,  grow 
from  a  toddling  child  into  a  sweet  maiden,  then 
to  evolve,  under  his  skillful  training,  into  a 
charming,  extremely  clever  business  woman. 
They  had  more  than  once  listened  to  Harriet's 
father,  as  he  proceeded  to  make  plain  to  them 
the  fact — for  so  he  considered  it — that  women 
did  not  know  how  to  raise  children;  that  they 
made  a  mess  of  the  only  legitimate  business 
Heaven  had  entrusted  them  with — that  is,  the 
bringing  into  the  world  and  the  training  of 
children.  He  declared  mothers  spoiled  their 
children  at  the  very  start,  and  kept  on  spoiling 
them  so  long  as  they  had  any  influence  over 
them.  For  proof  that  a  man  could  train  up 
a  child  in  the  way  it  should  go,  when  he  made 
a  business  of  it,  with  no  woman  to  interfere, 
he  would  point  triumphantly  to  his  Harriet. 
Now,  this  good  couple,  after  a  long  period 
of  wrestling  with  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  finally  rose  from  their  knees  and 
reseated  themselves  in  their  easy  chairs. 


AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA    229 

"  Someway,"  admitted  the  old  farmer, 
Joshua  Edwards,  as  he  scratched  his  bushy 
gray  hair  in  a  puzzled  way,  "  I  don't  seem  to 
have  got  much  light  as  to  whether  we  ought  to 
let  'em  stay  over  night  or  not." 

Martha  said  nothing,  while  she  adjusted  her 
spectacles  and  took  up  some  darning.  After 
getting  under  headway  with  a  big  hole  in  one 
of  Joshua's  socks,  she  remarked  laconically: 

"  Nor  I,  Joshua !  "  Presently  she  spoke 
again  to  inquire  if  there  was  no  verse  or  com- 
mandment in  the  Word  of  God  to  tell  them 
.what  to  do  so  they  might  be  sure  what  was 
right  and  what  was  wrong  at  so  crucial  a  time 
as  now.  She  finished  her  anxious  queries  by 
remarking,  "  Surely,  Joshua,  you  kin  remem- 
ber some  verse  or  commandment  to  help  us 
out  of  our  fix?  " 

Joshua,  thus  appealed  to,  again  scratched  his 
head,  fidgeted  in  his  chair  and  sighed  deeply. 
Finally  he  said,  "  There's  that  'ere  command- 
ment on  adultery." 

"What  is  adultery?  I've  allers  wanted  to 
know,  but  never  got  the  time  to  find  out.  When 


230    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

I  was  a  girl  and  asked  my  Sunday-school 
teacher,  she  said  it  wasn't  nice  for  a  girl  to 
know.  Of  course  I  knew  it  was  something 
awful  bad." 

Martha  looked  up  from  her  darning  and 
fixed  her  watery  blue  eyes  scrutinizingly  upon 
her  husband.  He  did  not  want  to  tell  her,  but 
seeing  no  way  of  escape,  he  said,  frowningly: 

"Adultery,  come  to  think  of  it,  don't  fit 
this  case  at  all.  That  has  to  do  with  married 
people,  those  who  are  not  true  to  each  other." 

"  But  can't  you  think  of  some  verse  that 
does?  You've  had  more  time  to  read  in  the 
Word  of  God  than  I  have.  F'r  instance,  some- 
times in  the  winter  on  a  rainy  day,  you  do  get 
a  little  time  to  read  Scripture.  As  for  a  farm- 
er's wife,  her  work  goes  on  just  the  same,  rain 
or  shine,  Sunday  or  week-day — it's  never 
done!" 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  I'll  just  open  the  Bible 
careless  like  and,  I  doubt  not,  my  eye  will  light 
on  the  right  bit  of  Scripture  to  help  us  out. 
I've  tried  it  a  number  of  times,  and  never  knew 
it  to  fail." 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    231 

"  That's  a  bright  idea! "  ejaculated  Martha, 
without,  however,  pausing  in  her  work. 

Joshua  proceeded  to  the  parlor,  where,  on 
the  center-table  reposed  a  big  family  Bible, 
rarely  opened  by  the  busy  couple.  On  Sun- 
days, it  is  true,  he  tried  to  satisfy  his  uneasy, 
Puritan-bred  conscience  by  taking  the  book 
in  his  lap  and  reading  some  passage  in  Holy 
Writ,  wherever  the  book  happened  to  open. 
But  being  used  to  a  very  active,  out-of-door 
life,  he  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

Having  secured  the  Bible  and  laid  it  on  his 
knees,  he  proceeded  cautiously  to  open  it. 
Next  he  proceeded  conscientiously  to  read 
aloud  the  verse  his  eye  lighted  upon : 

"  And  the  Lord  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall 
upon  Adam,  and  he  slept;  and  he  took  one  of 
his  ribs,  and  closed  up  the  flesh  thereof." 

"  I  don't  see  anything  in  that  verse  to  help  us 
out,  do  you? "  queried  Joshua,  his  face  more 
deeply  wrinkled  with  anxiety  than  ever. 

"  Read  right  on  until  you  do  strike  some- 
thing to  give  us  the  needed  light.  There's 
nothin'  like  perseverance.  If  at  first  you  don't 


232    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

succeed,  try,  try  again.  Them's  my  prin- 
ciples." Joshua  dutifully  did  as  he  was  bidden 
— not  knowing  what  else  to  do : 

"  And  the  rib  which  the  Lord  God  had  taken 
from  man,  made  he  a  woman  and  brought  her 
unto  the  man. 

"  And  Adam  said,  This  is  now  bone  of  my 
bone  and  flesh  of  my  flesh:  she  shall  be  called 
Woman,  because  she  was  taken  out  of  Man. 

"  Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and 
mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife :  and  they 
shall  be  one  flesh." 

'  That'll  do,  Joshua.  Those  verses  are  right 
to  the  point.  It's  plain  to  me  that  when  God 
Almighty  marries  a  couple,  we  can  afford  to 
let  'em  stay  with  us  over  night." 

"  But  how  are  we  to  know  whether  God  has 
made  this  Captain  and  Harriet  of  one  flesh 
or  not?" 

"  Now,  Joshua,  you  know  as  well  as  I  do 
that  if  anyone,  nowadays,  '  walks  with  God,' 
it's  as  likely  to  be  Harriet  as  any  priest  or  min- 
ister we've  heard  tell  of.  If  she  has  taken  this 
'ere  Captain  Bruno — or  Count  Bruno,  as  some 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    233 

call  him — to  be  flesh  of  her  flesh,  she  must  first 
have  been  mighty  sure  it  was  God's  will.  At 
any  rate  I'd  place  more  confidence  in  her  word 
than  in  anybody  else's,  present  company  ex- 
cepted!"  loyally  concluded  Martha.  To  be 
compared  with  Harriet  in  the  matter  of  mak- 
ing his  word  good — and  to  have  his  word  as 
good  as  his  bond — was  Joshua's  special  pride, 
and  removed  the  last  bit  of  flickering  doubt  in 
respect  to  permitting  Harriet  and  her  sweet- 
heart to  remain  over  night.  He  exclaimed 
triumphantly : 

"  Gosh,  let  'em  come!  Let  'em  come!  Let 
'em  stay  as  long  as  they  please !  I  wanted  'em 
to  come  all  the  time,  but  I  knew  you  well 
enough,  Martha,  not  to  dare  to  ax  'em  if  you 
weren't  willin'.  Women  can  make  things 
mighty  oncomf ortable  for  their  own  sex  when 
they  once  set  out." 

'  That's  because  men  are  inclined  to  be  too 
easy  in  respect  to  the  sins  they  have  a  weakness 
for.  But  what  do  you  suppose  ever  made 
John  White  get  his  daughter  to  promise  him 
not  to  marry?  It's  the  strangest  thing  in  the 


234    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

world!  He  might  have  foreseen  just  what  has 
happened." 

"  Doubtless  he  did,  for  John  W.  White  was 
a  far-sighted  man.  That's  why  he  died  so 
rich." 

"What!  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that 
Harriet's  father  would  not  turn  in  his  grave 
if  he  could  have  foreseen  the  effects  of  that 
dyin'  promise?" 

Here  the  startled  Martha,  feeling  sure  that 
Joshua  was  keeping  something  back,  dropped 
both  work  and  scissors  on  the  rug,  thus  necessi- 
tating a  stooping  over  to  secure  them,  which 
she  did  not  like  after  a  hard  day's  toil. 

"  B'gosh!  I  s'pose  I  might  as  well  tell  you, 
first  as  last,  for  when  a  woman  guesses  a  man 
knows  somethin',  she  never  rests  till  she  gets 
on  to  it." 

"  Out  with  it!  It  takes  you  so  long,  some- 
times, to  limber  up  that  tongue  of  yourn. 
Now  a  woman's  tongue  never  catches  the 
rheumatism." 

"I  wish  it  did,"  responded  Joshua  ungal- 
lantly.  "  Think  what  a  rest  a  man  would  have, 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    235 

married  to  a  woman  with  a  tongue  laid  up 
occasionally,  or  which  she  could  only  painfully 
set  going.  She  might  learn  then  to  think 
before  she  speaks." 

"  Poor  creature!  how  the  men  would  shun 
her!  But  do  tell  me  why  John  W.  White  ex- 
acted a  dyin'  promise  from  his  daughter  never 
to  marry.  Why,  I  supposed  that  is  what  the 
women  were  made  for — to  marry  and  hear 
children.  I  know  that's  Scriptur',  for  I've 
heard  more  sermons  preached  on  the  text  that 
says  so,  than  on  any  other  in  the  whole  big 
Bible.  For  Heaven's  sake,  hurry  up — spit  it 
out !  What  are  you  afraid  of? " 

Martha  stopped  her  darning  to  critically  ex- 
amine the  one  man  she  looked  upon  as  her  very 
own — mind,  body,  and  soul.  Nothing  vexed 
her  more  than  to  feel  that  he  was  trying  to  keep 
her  locked  out  of  some  little  cubby-hole  of  his 
complex  being. 

Joshua  squirmed  about  in  his  great  easy 
chair,  not  particularly  easy  just  now  with  the 
sharp  eyes  of  Martha  riveted  upon  him.  He 
finally  said,  with  the  greatest  reluctance: 


236    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

!<  The  reason  I've  kept  quiet  was  because  I 
was  afraid  if  I  told  you,  you  would  think  the 
less  of  John,  who  can't  speak  up  for  himself. 
Of  course  I  didn't  get  the  whys  and  wherefors 
of  this  dyin'  promise  business  from  John  him- 
self, but  from  big  Bill,  who  blabs  everythin'." 

"Well?" 

"  Wai,  it  seems  Bill  and  John  had  some  long 
talks  over  Harriet's  bein'  dead  in  love  with  this 
furrin  count,  and  what  was  likely  to  happen 
when  her  father  no  longer  needed  her  personal 
care." 

"What  do  you  mean?    Explain  yourself! " 

"Why,  you  know  well  enough  how  the 
daughters  of  our  big  millionaires  are  crazy  to 
marry  Old  World  aristocrats  and  breed  new 
ones,  which  have  mostly  to  be  supported  with 
American  money.  God  only  knows  what  mul- 
titudes of  our  people  are  over- worked  and  their 
children  prematurely  made  bread-winners,  in 
order  to  bolster  up  and  renew  this  aristocratic 
business  in  Europe.  The  thought  that  Harriet 
might  do  the  same  thing  on  account  of  the 
great  love  she  bore  this  Italian  aristocrat  made 
Mr.  White  and  Bill  put  their  heads  together  to 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    237 

make  sure  that  not  only  would  the  White  mil- 
lions remain  in  America,  but  that  Harriet  her- 
self would  be  obliged  to  remain  here,  too." 

"  So  they  took  advantage  of  Harriet's  other 
great  love — that  for  her  father — to  carry  out 
their  purposes.  Poor  Harriet!  Is  that  all 
Bill  Brown  told  you?  I  don't  know  why  I 
should  think  the  worse  of  poor  John  for  doing 
what  he  did.  It  is  notorious  that  the  European 
aristocracy  have  small  respect  for  American 
girls,  and  look  upon  their  marriages  with  'em 
as  the  exchange  of  a  title  for  American  dollars. 
But  you  are  holding  somethin'  back.  I  see  it 
in  your  guilty  face.  Now  tell  me  all." 

"  Wai,  when  Bill  said  to  John,  *  Supposin' 
Harriet,  who  has  been  brought  up  by  men, 
that  is,  taught  by  'em  mostly,  and  never  been  in 
society,  should  make  up  her  mind  that  a  real 
union  of  hearts,  cemented  by  true  love,  was, 
after  all,  a  very  real  marriage  in  the  sight  of 
Heaven,  and  should  act  on  that  belief, — her 
promise  to  you  preventing  her  getting  married 
the  usual  way — and  of  this  union  some  chil- 
dren should  result — what  then? ' 

"  Bill  said  after  he  had  put  it  in  this  startling 


238    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

way,  Mr.  White,  who  was  determined  on  the 
dying  promise,  said  nothing  for  a  full  five 
minutes.  Then  Bill  declares  he  said  solemnly, 
as  if  standin'  afore  the  Great  Judge: 

" '  Bill,  it's  not  an  altogether  satisfactory 
picture  to  see  my  Harriet  bringing  into  the 
world  a  brood  of  illegitimate  American  chil- 
dren. But — my  God!  I  had  rather  see  her  do 
that  than  discover — should  Heaven  occasion- 
ally permit  me  to  return  to  look  upon  her  sweet 
madonna  face — that  she  was  in  Europe  helping 
to  breed  a  new  generation  of  wanton,  idle  aris- 
tocrats.' There!  you've  got  the  last  shred  of 
information  that  Bill  poured  into  my  ear  about 
this  dyin'  promise  business.  And  now  let's  go 
to  bed.  It's  very  late.  I'm  glad  we've  settled 
it  that  they  are  to  stay  all  night  to-morrow 
night." 


CHAPTER  XVI 


It  would  seem  that  women  are  more  largely 
swayed  by  destiny  than  ourselves.  They  sub- 
mit to  its  decrees  with  far  more  simplicity;  nor 
is  there  sincerity  in  the  resistance  they  offer. 
They  are  still  nearest  to  God,  and  yield  them- 
selves with  less  reserve  to  the  pure  workings  of 
the  mystery. 

And  therefore  it  is,  doubtlessly,  that  all  the 
incidents  of  our  life  in  which  they  take  part 
seem  to  bring  us  nearer  to  what  might  almost 
be  the  very  fountain-head  of  industry. 

It  is,  above  all,  when  a  clear  presentment 
flashes  across  us — a  presentment  flashes  of  a 
life  that  does  not  always  seem  parallel  with  the 
life  we  know.  They  lead  us  close  to  the  gate 
of  our  being. 

May  it  not  be  during  those  profound  mo- 
ments, when  his  head  is  pillowed  on  a  woman's 
breast,  that  he  learns  to  know  the  strength  and 
steadfastness  of  his  star?  And,  indeed,  will 
any  true  sentiment  of  the  future  ever  come  to 
the  man  who  has  never  had  his  resting  place  in 
a  woman's  heart. 

MAURICE  MAETERLINCK. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

It  will  be  an  excellent  thing  for  the  descendants  of 
the  stiff-necked  and  repressed  and  unelastic  old  Puri- 
tans to  mingle  their  blood  with  that  of  passionate  and 
fiery  and  demonstrative  Southern  Europe.  Out  of  such 
unions  will  come  natural  and  normal  human  beings. 

ELLA  WHEELER  WILCOX. 

'S  a  result  of  the  conversation  and 
Bible  reading  on  the  part  of  the  old 
Puritanical  farmer  and  his  wife, 
Ivo  and  Harriet  received  the  warm- 
est of  welcomes  when  they  showed_J[rp  the 
next  day.  Indeed  Joshua  and  Martha  had 
shaken  each  warmly  by  the  hand,  while  Harriet 
got  a  motherly  kiss  in  addition  before  she  could 
say  to  the  couple : 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  guessed,  without  my 
having  to  tell  you,  that  this  handsome  young 
gentleman  can  be  none  other  than  my  better 
half,  Captain  Bruno.  Ivo,  shake  hands  again 
with  the  best  and  most  devoted  couple  I  know 
— Uncle  Joshua  and  Aunt  Martha  Edwards." 

241 


242    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

Ivo  did  as  he  was  bidden  with  gratifying 
promptness  and  courtly  grace.  And,  as  he  did 
so,  the  old  farmer  looked  him  through  and 
through  and  up  and  down,  remarking  finally: 

"  Gosh !  he's  a  well  set  up  chap,  kind  o'  like 
a  stun  Greek  god  I  seed  once." 

'*  You  always  did  have  discernment,  Uncle 
Joshua,  always  hit  the  nail  plump  on  the  head. 
But  in  addition  to  being  set  up  well,  so  that  he 
is  a  joy  to  the  eye,  my  Ivo  is  a  descendant  of 
the  great  Renaissance  breed  of  artists,  and 
proves  it  by  his  work.  You  must  bring  Aunt 
Martha  to  New  York  very  soon,  and  make 
us  a  good  visit.  I  will  then  show  you  what  he 
can  do,  when  he  tries,  in  the  art  line." 

"  And  I  tried  mighty  hard,  you  may  be  sure, 
because  I  feared  that  if  I  did  not  do  something 
worth  while,  I  would  never  win  my  American 
madonna." 

All  laughed  heartily  at  Ivo's  speech  and  his 
dramatic  way  of  making  it.  Then  Martha 
sighed  and  said,  "Ah,  me!  I  know  precious 
little  about  any  art,  except  the  butter-making 
art."  Harriet  was  quick  to  comfort  the  down- 


AN  AMERICAN  MADONNA    243 

cast  woman  by  saying,  as  she  caught  up  one  of 
her  stiff,  knotty,  toil-worn  hands  and  pressed 
a  soft  kiss  upon  it : 

"  Dearest  Aunt,  you  are  a  finished  artist  in 
respect  to  that  art,  which  is  high  above  all  other 
arts :  The  Art  of  Home-making." 

;<  Thank  you,  my  dear,  you've  allers  had  such 
a  nice  way  with  you.  And  now  lay  aside  your 
things.  Supper  is  ready." 

The  hungry  young  couple  lost  no  time  in 
complying  with  their  hostess's  request,  and 
soon  were  seated  at  a  table  loaded  down  with 
good,  old-fashioned  edibles. 

"  Have  you  come  direct  from  New  York? " 
asked  the  farmer  as  he  passed  them  some  home- 
made bread.  Joshua's  eyesight  was  poor, 
otherwise  he  would  not  have  asked  the  above 
question  to  a  couple  who  looked  decidedly 
seedy,  already,  from  the  fact  that  they  had  been 
tramping  all  day  over  a  very  picturesque  but 
wild  bit  of  country.  Up  hill  and  down  hill 
they  had  marched — oA  run,  for  a  change — 
pushing  their  way  through  heavy  underbrush 
and  briars  and  brambles;  wooed,  occasionally 


244    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

by  a  pebbly  brook — glinting  and  gurgling  and 
singing  as  it  wound  its  way  along  through 
wood  and  vale — into  loitering  and  tossing 
stones.  Or,  anon,  they  climbed  some  great 
height  where  with  arms  about  each  other  they 
lost  themselves  in  dreamy  meditation  as  they 
looked  upon  the  enchanting  Hudson  and  in  the 
hazy  distance  noted  the  great  ocean.  Harriet 
had  managed  to  keep  up  with  her  military  hero, 
whose  legs  had  been  well  trained  for  some 
years ;  but  having  done  so,  she  was  desperately 
tired,  while  Ivo  looked  fresher  than  when  they 
began  their  search  for  a  suburban  home-site, 
early  in  the  day. 

"  Do  we  look  as  if  we  had  come  direct  from 
the  metropolis?"  asked  Harriet,  with  a  de- 
cidedly fatigued  though  smiling  expression  on 
her  face. 

While  this  Puritan  farmer  was  scrutinizing 
the  two  young  people  conscientiously,  so  as  to 
give  a  truthful  reply,  his  wife  blurted  out 
frankly: 

"  I  must  say,  Harriet,  I  never  saw  you  so 
mussed-up-like  as  I  see  you  to-night.  Why, 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    245 

your  dress  is  actually  torn  in  one  or  two  places, 
your  hands  are  scratched,  your  shoes  all  but 
ruined.  But  mussed-up  clothes  are  of  small 
importance.  You,  yourself,  are,  as  usual,  the 
picture  of  health.  How  is  it  that  you  always 
keep  so  well  and  strong?  Now,  there's  our 
Jennie,  a  trained  nurse,  supposed  to  have 
learned  the  latest  and  best  ways  to  get  people 
well,  always  coming  home  to  be  nursed  herself, 
ain't  she,  father? " 

The  farmer  looked  sad  as  he  replied  to  his 
wife's  query: 

"  Jennie  never  was  very  strong,  and  that's 
a  trying  business  she's  larned.  I  wish  she'd 
give  it  up  and  stay  at  home.  What  ails  the 
girls  and  women  nowadays  that  wre  can't  keep 
'em  at  home  any  more,  Harriet?  Not  even 
when  we  buy  'em  a  piano!  " 

"  I  don't  know — unless  it  is  because  America 
has  made  her  Tree  of  Knowledge  of  good  and 
evil  so  easy  of  access  that  they  have  lost  their 
heads  trying  to  secure  as  much  fruit  as  possi- 
ble in  the  shortest  time." 

"  And  while  the  American  women  are  cram- 


246    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

ming  their  heads  with  ill-digested  knowledge 
at  the  expense  of  their  bodies  and  babies,  their 
men  of  finance  are  frenziedly  filling  their 
pockets  with  ill-got  gold,"  added  Ivo  with 
disgust. 

"  You  are  right,  young  man !  You  are  right ! 
Father  and  I  have  brought  into  the  world  four 
children,  every  one  of  whom  flew  away  as  soon 
as  he  or  she  could  get  away.  Why?  Oh, 
country  life  and  home  life  was  too  slow  for 
them.  My  three  boys  are  now  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  making  money  hand  over  fist,  and  so 
absorbed  in  business  that  we  scarce  ever  hear 
from  'em.  And  if  one  of  'em,  once  in  an  age, 
does  send  me  a  letter,  I  weep  with  joy  when  I 
get  it,  and  again  with  sorrow  when  I  see  how 
short  it  is.  Then  when  I  answer,  father  says, 
*  Cut  it  short,'  lest  a  long  letter  weary  them. 
My  God!  it  is  a  harrowing  thing  to  be  the 
parents  of  up-to-date  American  children — ain't 
it,  father?  " 

Tears,  in  great,  big  drops,  were  falling 
swiftly  over  Mrs.  Edwards's  thin,  wrinkled 
cheeks  as  she  finished  speaking,  while  the  fast- 


dimming  eyes  of  the  old  farmer  became  blurred 
with  moisture.  But  he  was  a  plucky  old 
fellow.  He  would  not  let  on — what  was  quite 
true — that  his  old  heart  felt  their  children's 
neglect  deeper  yet  than  the  more  easily  moved 
one  of  his  wife.  Ignoring  his  wife's  question, 
he  exclaimed  cheerily: 

"  Mother,  where's  your  eyes?  Can't  you  see 
that  the  young  folks  have  had  their  fill  of  your 
good  cooking?  Lead  the  way  to  our  best 
room!  I  know  that  Harriet  is  dyin'  to  talk  to 
me  about  this  'ere  suburban  home  she's  been 
tryin'  to  get  her  father  to  build  nigh  ten  years. 
I  hope,  young  chap,  you'll  let  Harriet  have 
her  way  sometimes — 'cause  everybody  knows 
she's  got  a  wise  head  on  her  young  shoulders." 

''  That  proves  it  has  been  good  for  you  not 
to  have  your  own  way,"  said  Ivo,  sotto  vocef 
as  he  placed  a  chair  for  Harriet  close  beside  his 
own  in  the  farmer's  best  room. 

The  conversation  that  took  place  during  the 
two  hours  that  followed,  wonderfully  cheered 
the  sad  hearts  of  Joshua  and  Martha  Edwards ; 
since,  by  this  time,  the  young  couple, — making 


248    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

such  a  handsome  picture  together,  and  such  an 
animated  one,  so  full  of  the  joy  of  life, — had 
thoroughly  convinced  the  old  couple  that  they, 
too,  were  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  and  more 
varied  existence  than  had  hitherto  been  their 
lot.  It  seemed  that  Ivo  and  Harriet  actually 
needed  them  to  help  carry  out  their  plans  for 
the  making  of  a  new  Home-Paradise  to  be  all 
fitted  up  with  the  best,  up-to-date  American 
improvements.  The  land,  it  appeared,  was  to 
be  cultivated  in  a  truly  scientific,  Burbank  way, 
the  stock  to  be  of  the  finest,  most  approved 
breeds.  Better  yet !  Harriet  felt  sure  that  Ivo 
and  herself  could  offer  such  inducements  to  the 
sons  of  the  old  couple,  that  one  or  more  might 
be  induced  to  return  and  lend  a  hand  to  the  new 
enterprise  connected  with  their  birthplace. 
Perhaps,  likewise,  the  daughter  would  cheer- 
fully accede  to  their  united  desire  that  she  be- 
come a  member  of  their  Family  of  Friends, 
when  she  understood  how  charming  and  ro- 
mantic a  Home  can  be  made  —  without 
servants ! 

Accordingly,  when  the  time  came  for  the 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    249 

young  couple  to  be  escorted  to  the  suite  of 
rooms  prepared  for  them,  by  the  old  couple,  it 
was  noticeable  that  the  faces  of  Joshua  and 
Martha  shone  once  more  with  joy  and  hope. 

As  for  the  temporary  bridal  suite,  each  room 
contained  a  well-made  bed  that  looked  very 
comfortable  and  very  enticing.  Uncle  Joshua 
explained  to  Harriet  why  they  had  set  up  a 
bed  in  the  front  sitting-room. 

"  I  told  Martha,"  he  said,  "  that  married 
people  nowadays  are  not  taught  to  sleep  in  one 
bed,  like  we  were;  that,  nowadays,  they  slept 
in  different  beds  and  often  in  different  rooms." 

'  You  are  a  very  thoughtful  man,  Uncle 
Joshua,  and  after  such  a  tramp  as  Ivo  and  I 
have  had  to-day,  we  surely  need  a  bed  apiece 
to  repose  in." 

As  Ivo  had  been  escorting  Mrs.  Edwards 
up  the  stairs,  he  did  not  hear  this  ominous  con- 
versation. 

"Well,  good-night  to  you  both!"  said  the 
happy  farmer. 

"And  happy  dreams,  if  ye  dream  at  all!" 
added  his  wife,  after  kissing  Harriet  good- 


250    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

night.  Then  she  followed  her  husband  down- 
stairs. From  thence  they  proceeded  to  their 
own  bedroom,  located  in  a  one-story  ell.  The 
most  attractive  feature  of  this  room  was  an 
old-fashioned  fireplace,  which  always  looked 
picturesque,  while,  during  the  cold,  dark  winter 
days  it  was  a  source  of  cheer  and  satisfaction 
to  the  old  couple. 

Harriet  and  Ivo  found  nothing  specially 
attractive  by  way  of  adornment  in  either  room, 
with  the  exception  of  a  fine  large  engraving  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  hung  in  a  prominent  place 
in  the  front  room. 

"What  a  striking  painting  I  could  have 
made  of  that  man  with  his  strong,  bony,  mel- 
ancholy face  and  long,  thin,  gaunt  form — if  I 
could  only  have  had  the  opportunity ! "  re- 
marked Ivo  as  he  gave  close  attention  to  this 
engraving. 

"Ah,  yes,  indeed!  with  your  genius  for 
making  the  inner  man  come  forth  at  your  call 
— and  at  his  best,  most  characteristic  moment ! 
Truly,  America  has  been  blest  with  some  very 
great  men,  so  great  that  her  people  do  not  yet 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    251 

comprehend  how  great.  There  is  Thomas 
Paine,  now.  Few  understand  what  compre- 
hensive, God-like  common-sense  that  man  was 
endowed  with,  and  what  a  miracle  it  worked  in 
behalf  of  America  and  Liberty  at  the  right 
psychological  time.  Speaking  of  common 
sense  reminds  me  that  I  am  ready  to  drop  from 
fatigue,  and  must  seek  rest.  So  are  you,  Ivo, 
mioj  though  I  must  admit  that  your  limbs  have 
been  better  trained  than  mine." 

Thus  speaking  Harriet  gently  loosened  her 
palm  from  Ivo's  hand,  then  pressed  a  kiss  upon 
it,  when  she  left  him  and  glided  quickly  into 
the  adjoining  room,  closing  the  door  after 
her. 

"What  a  very  modest  young  woman  my 
American  Madonna  is,"  observed  Ivo  to  him- 
self. "  Heaven  only  knows  when  I  shall  be 
able  to  obtain  a  good  view  of  that  exquisite 
bust  of  hers,  and  of  her  finely  molded  arms. 
I  mean  to  put  both  into  durable  sculpture — 
when  we  become  sufficiently  well  acquainted." 

Ivo  waited  patiently  enough  for  what 
seemed  to  him  an  age.  However,  he  reached 


252    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

a  point  when  he  could  stand  his  present  isola- 
tion no  longer,  so  he  approached  the  closed 
door  and  timidly  knocked.  There  was  no  re- 
sponse from  within.  He  knocked  again  a  little 
louder.  Still,  no  response.  By  this  time  he 
was  in  a  fever  of  impatience.  He,  therefore, 
softly  tried  to  open  the  door.  It  yielded  a 
little,  but  open  it  would  not.  He  began  to 
scrutinize  it  carefully.  "  Chielo  t  ft  js  actually 
bolted  inside ! "  was  his  ominously  muttered 
comment.  '  What  to  do  next?  "  he  asked  him- 
self, as  he  turned  away  in  a  furious  mood. 
When  he  had  become  a  little  more  calm,  he  re- 
turned, and  kneeling  down,  he  put  his  lips  close 
to  the  crack  where  the  door  lacked  a  trifle  of 
meeting  the  door  post.  Using  his  most  plead- 
ing, pathetic  accents,  he  said,  "  Harriet,  caris- 
sima,  I  can't  sleep  without  my  good-night 
kiss. 

There  was  a  pause  during  which  Ivo's  heart 
thumped  so  loud  that  he  was  afraid  he  would 
not  be  able  to  hear  what  his  American  Ma- 
donna said,  even  if  she  was  still  awake  and 
responded.  His  fear  proved  groundless,  be- 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    253 

cause  the  moment  Ivo's  ear  caught  the  sound 
of  her  sweet,  musical  voice,  his  very  heart  stood 
still.  This  is  what  the  poor,  locked-out  lover 
heard: 

"  Ivo,  mio,  go  to  bed  and  rest  well.  We  are 
both  dead  tired.  Besides,  I  must  attend  to 
some  very  important  business  to-morrow  which 
requires  a  clear  head  and  a  well-rested  body. 
Go  to  bed,  sweetheart." 

"  Go  to  the  devil,  why  don't  you  say? "  ex- 
claimed Ivo  to  himself  as  he  got  up  off  his 
knees  and  began  stamping  about  the  room,  giv- 
ing certain  pieces  of  furniture  a  gratuitous 
kick  when  they  pulled  him  up  for  recklessly 
approaching  too  close  to  them.  His  excited 
mind  gave  vent  to  furious  comments  on 
Americans : 

"  Qran'  Dio!  Up-to-date  Americans  are  the 
devil!  They  care  for  nothing  but  business, 
which  means  corraling  the  Almighty  Dollar! 
They  can't  take  time  to  expand  their  minds 
with  art,  science,  music  or  literature — nor  stop 
to  render  thanks  to  their  Maker  who  has  made 
them  heir  of  a  glorious  New  World.  The 


254    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

sweetness  and  holiness  of  domestic  life  are  not 
for  them,  because  of  business !  business !  busi- 
ness! .  .  One  year  of  business — of  money- 
making,  a  la  American ,  is  enough  for  me.  It 
is  hell!  where  your  associates  are  liars,  rascals, 
thieves,  whose  one  aim  is  to  do  you  up.  Even 
your  friends  prove  false  and  treacherous  in  a 
money-making  deal.  Thank  heaven,  I  have 
retired.  No  more  money-making  for  me.  I 
loathe,  abhor,  detest  the  game  and  the  crowd. 
To  what  end  this  demoralizing,  devitalizing, 
enslaving  worship  of  the  new  god  these  Amer- 
icans have  set  up — which  they  call  Business, 
and  for  which  they  prostitute  life,  love  and  lib- 
erty? Race  suicide  of  bona  fide  Americans? 
Looks  like  it !  Ah,  but  it  is  a  pity  to  see  sweet 
women  and  even  children  infected  with  this  lust 
for  business  and  money,  and  thousands  of 
homes  broken  up  in  consequence !  Now  there's 
my  American  Madonna,  dowered  with  a  wealth 
of  womanhood,  temptingly  enshrined  in  a 
beautiful  body,  with  the  sweetest  lips  ever  made 
by  the  good  God — meant  to  be  sipped  much 
and  often!  Alas,  all  this  quintessence  of  joy 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    255 

is  fast  locked  in  that  room  on  the  other  side  of 
that  mean  door  '  in  order  that  business  shall  be 
properly  attended  to  on  the  morrow '  1 " 

Ivo  paused  in  the  midst  of  his  furious  stam- 
pede about  his  room,  to  scowl  at  the  offending 
door.  Then  he  resumed  his  bitter  monologue, 
Italian  fashion: 

"  Of  course  Harriet's  clever  enough  to  know 
that  I  would  not  be  satisfied  with  one  kiss — or 
two!  America  does  breed  clever  women,  and 
cleverness  among  women  is  catching.  Men — 
religion — law — something,  ought  to  get  busy 
and  pull  them  up  again.  Chielo!  I  wish  I 
could  pull  one  woman  up — or  out  of  her  bed 
and  thrash  her!" 

When  Ivo  came  to  reflect  that  he  might  not 
get  his  coveted  kiss  under  such  circumstances, 
his  mood  softened.  He  approached  "  that 
mean  door,"  and  kneeling  down  again  applied 
his  mouth  anew  to  the  crack.  To  himself  he 
said,  "  I  simply  can't  go  to  sleep  so  near  and 
yet  so  far  from  my  beautiful  Madonna."  Out 
loud  he  pathetically  entreated,  in  low,  but  dis- 
tinct tones : 


256    AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA 

"Canssima!  have  pity!  I  shall  go  mad  if 
I  don't  get  my  good-night  kiss.  Intendete?  " 

Harriet  gave  a  long,  deep-drawn  sigh.  She 
was,  as  she  had  admitted,  "  dead  tired."  To 
march  bravely,  hour  after  hour,  with  a  thor- 
oughly trained  military  man  had  left  her  de- 
cidedly the  worse  for  wear.  Nevertheless  she 
replied  in  her  sweet,  even  tones : 

"  Angelomio,  rest  well  to-night.  I  will  give 
you  a  double  portion  of  kisses  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. Dorma  bene,  sweetheart." 

To  hear  again  the  voice  he  loved  and  which 
seemed  to  go  direct  to  the  center  of  his  being 
and  to  set  it  vibrating  in  an  exquisite  manner, 
was  a  sort  of  comfort  to  the  poor,  locked-out 
lover.  And  to  know  that  his  Harriet  was  not 
too  far  gone  into  dreamland  to  hear  his  voice 
and  perhaps  be  influenced  by  it,  was  another 
bit  of  satisfaction.  However,  he  meant  to 
have  his  good-night  kisses — if  he  had  to  work 
all  night  for  them!  Again — with  his  mouth 
close  to  the  little  opening  between  door  and 
door-post — he  began,  in  a  voice  full  of  tears,  to 
plead  anew. 


AN  AMERICAN   MADONNA    257 

"  Qarissima — sweetest  ever!  I  pray  you 
have  mercy  on  one  who  adores  you — who  can- 
not sleep  a  wink  without  a  good-night  kiss — 
from  lips  made  to  be  kissed  tenderly  and  often 
V  by  the  Divine  Lover  himself !  " 

A  long  pause  followed  this  plea — so  long 
that  Ivo  was  in  a  fright  lest  Harriet  was  in  a 
sound  sleep.  Just  as  he  was  cudgeling  his 
brains  what  to  do  next,  he  heard  her  say  in  her 
most  thoughtful  way: 

"Carq,  let  us  give  our  lips  a  little  vacation 
to-night.  I  am  sending  you  a  soul  kiss  for  a 
change." 

The  idea  of  his  Harriet  substituting  a  soul 
kiss  for  the  "  real  thing  "  on  the  second  night 
of  their  honeymoon,  so  enraged  Ivo  that  he  i» 
•&*£»  must  have  made  the  air  about  him  black 
and  blue,  filling  it  as  he  proceeded  to  do  with 
all  the  swear  words  he  could  lay  his  tongue  to 
in  languages  both  dead  and  living.  This  word- 
storm  producing  no  apparent  effect,  he  pulled 
off  a  shoe  and  threw  it  slam-bang  against  "  that 
mean  door"  —  a  rather  rickety  door  which 
Captain  Bruno  was  sorely  tempted  to  break 


258    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

down.  Alas,  only  silence  was  his  reward  for 
his  energetic  protest  against  receiving  a  soul 
kiss  in  lieu  of  one  warm  with  human  vitality. 
Removing  the  other  shoe,  he  threw  that  one 
with  such  force  that  the  sole  unbroken  panel 
cracked  with  a  loud  noise,  while  the  door  itself 
shook  as  if  an  earthquake  was  in  progress. 

Harriet  was  now  sufficiently  alarmed  to 
repeat  in  her  most  caressing,  madonna-like 
tones : 

"Angelo  mio,  be  good  and  go  to  sleep. 
Why,  if  you  continue  to  carry  on  as  you  are 
doing  now,  that  good,  pious  couple  downstairs 
will  think  I  have  got  a  madman  up  here,  and 
rush  up  to  protect  me." 

The  very  idea  of  anybody's  coming  upstairs 
to  interfere  between  him  and  his  American 
Madonna  frightened  Ivo  to  such  an  extent  that 
a  dead  silence  followed  Harriet's  ominous 
words.  At  length,  however,  it  was  broken  by 
Ivo — with  mouth  close  to  the  crack — saying  in 
a  low,  distinct,  hissing  manner : 

"Jmbechile!  To-morrow  will  be  pay-day 
for  you,  all  right  1 " 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    259 

"  Why,  what  will  you  do  to  me,  Angelo 
mio?"  came  sleepily  to  Ivo's  intent  ears. 

"  Do! "  thundered  the  distracted  lover,  quite 
forgetting  the  pious  couple  below,  "  why  the 
instant  I  catch  sight  of  you  I  shall  fling  you 
across  my  knee  and  use  my  slipper — like  this !  " 

To  illustrate  how  he  meant  to  chastise  her  in 
the  morning,  he  began  to  beat  the  door  in  a 
manner  quite  suggestive  of  a  tattoo,  giving 
notice  to  soldiers  to  retreat,  or  to  repair  to  their 
quarters  in  garrison,  or  to  their  tents  in  camp. 
This  midnight  exercise  he  perseveringly  kept 
up  until  Harriet,  really  alarmed,  said  very 
seriously : 

"  Ivo,  you  must  behave.  Those  good  people 
know  nothing  of  the  artist  temperament. 
Should  they  hear  you  carrying  on  in  this  way 
in  the  dead  of  night,  they  will  be  sure  that  you 
are  an  escaped  lunatic.  Heaven  only  knows 
what  they  will  do  then  —  perhaps  raise  the 
neighbors  and  the  dogs ! " 

Perfect  silence  greeted  this  speech.  Noth- 
ing apparently  was  doing;  and  Harriet  had 
just  breathed  a  sigh  of  intermingled  relief  and 


260    AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA 

fatigue,  and  was  congratulating  herself  that  at 
last  Ivo  was  asleep,  when  the  sound  of  a  piano 
greeted  her  ears.  "  How  lovely ! "  she  ex- 
claimed to  herself,  for  it  was  being  played  in 
so  careless,  yet  graceful  and  poetic  a  manner 
that  she  found  herself  listening,  spell-bound, 
with  delight.  She  rose  at  once  and  drew  on  a 
morning  robe,  intending  to  go  immediately 
into  the  other  room  from  whence  proceeded 
such  deliciously  solemn,  romantic  music.  Be- 
fore she  had  reached  the  door,  however,  she 
stood  still,  transfixed  by  the  sound  of  a  lyric 
tenor  voice,  singing — ah,  so  beautifully !  Har- 
riet felt  herself  instantly  transported  on  the 
vibrations  of  the  lovely  voice  and  exquisite 
music,  to  some  abode  whose  name  could  be  none 
other  than  Perfect  Bliss.  There  she  stood, 
looking  like  an  adoring  celestial  visitant  — 
scarcely  breathing,  her  whole  being  thrilled, 
until  the  last  sweetly  solemn  note  died  away. 

What  was  the  aria  Ivo  sang  in  a  manner  to 
remind  one  of  Bonci,  the  most  perfect  artist  of 
the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century?  Ah, 
it  was  that  magnificent  one — perhaps  the  very 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    261 

finest,  divinest  of  all  tenor  solos,  the  closing  one 

in  "  The  Elixir  of  Love."  ,  *i 

Harriet   drew  back  the   bolt   and   swiftlw^ptA] 
0}  opened  the  door/  interposing  between  <a  being 
who,  for  the  time,  seemed  divine  and  therefore 
to  be  adored ;  that  is,  in  this  case,  to  be  heartily, 
enthusiastically  kissed. 

So  athrill  was  Ivo's  American  Madonna  with 
blissful  emotion  that  she  gave,  without  stint — 
what  he  liked  best — kisses!  She  began  with 
his  abundant,  shiny,  bronze-gold  hair.  Hav- 
ing done  that  wonderful  hirsute  adornment 
ample  justice,  his  lovely  Raphael  brow  came  in 
for  attention.  Next  each  eyelid,  as  well  as 
each  delicately  tinted  cheek,  got  its  share. 
Neither  was  the  top  of  Ivo's  aristocratic  nose 
or  his  firm  chin  overlooked.  And  last  she 
^•placed  her  lips  squarely  on  his,  giving  him  the 

I).  J\\ "  real  thing."     Afterwards  as  Ivo  rose  and 

\j      \j  ~~ 

took  possession  of  her  two  hands, — to  make 

sure  she  should  not  vanish  again  to  secure  rest 
in  order  that  she  might  the  better  devote  her 
energies  to  that  horrid  vampire,  Business, — 
she  said  a  little  reproachfully: 


"  Caro,  why  have  you  never  told  me  that  you 
could  sing  like  an  angel?  " 

Ivo,  though  awfully  well  pleased  that  he 
had  found  an  easy  way  to  manage  his  Ameri- 
can Madonna,  yet,  nevertheless,  veiled  his  joy, 
and  replied  a  little  contemptuously: 

"  Poof!  Have  you  not  found  out  yet  that 
all  Italians  are  natural-born  musicians,  all  fa- 
miliar with  such  grand  operas  as  are  worthy 
the  name,  from  childhood  up? " 

"  Ah,  but  you  can  count  on  the  fingers  of 
one  hand — and  then  find  you  have  too  many — 
those  who  can  sing  in  so  finished  a  manner  as 
you  have  just  done,  and  who  have  voices  of 
such  lovely  tenor  quality.  Come,  own  up! 
Tell  me  what  must  be  true,  viz.,  that  you  have 
been  taking  a  lot  of  lessons  since  I  saw  you 
last,  and  thrown  heart  and  soul  into  the  mak- 
ing of  what  you  are  now — an  artist  in  music, 
as  well  as  in  art  itself." 

"  Gran  Dio !  you  don't  suppose  I  would  leave 
a  stone  unturned  to  win  my  American  Ma- 
donna, do  you?  When  I  was  not  cudgeling 
my  brains  trying  to  make  money  like  an 


AN   AMERICAN   MADONNA    263 

American,  I  was  painting,  or,  if  not  busy  so, 
I  was  singing.  Ask  the  best  maestro  in  Rome 
whether  I  took  any  vocal  lessons  or  not! 
ChieloJ  I  never  looked  at  a  woman  the  whole 
of  the  past  year,  my  whole  mind  and  soul 
being  concentrated  on  doing  the  things  that 
would  win  you,  ingrate" 

As  Ivo  said  "  ingrate,"  he  raised  one  of  the 
hands  he  held  and  bit  it,  but  not  badly,  being 
too  happy. 

"  How  did  you  know  that  I  was  passionately 
fond  of  music?  "  queried  Harriet  wonderingly. 

"  Have  you  forgotten  how  you  once  con- 
fided to  me  your  girlish  aspiration  to  be  a  great 
singer,  like  Malibran  —  having  her  kind  of 
voice  —  and  how  your  father  stopped  your 
music  lessons  as  soon  as  he  saw  that  music  was 
becoming  a  passion  with  you?  and  at  the  same 
time  nipped,  too,  your  budding  love  for  your 
Italian  maestro?  Dip  mio!  how  thankful  I 
am  that  your  father  nipped  wisely  in  at  least 
two  instances  1 " 

Harriet  replied  with  enthusiasm: 

"  My  father  was  a  very  wise  and  a  very  good 


264    AN   AMERICAN    MADONNA 

man.  How  thankful  I  am  that  he  let  me  take 
vocal  lessons  as  long  as  he  did.  Ah,  me !  how 
beautifully  we  shall  sing  together  one  of  these 
days  for  our  dear  children!"  Harriet's  eyes 
shone  with  joy,  for  the  mother-light  was  in 
them. 

Ivo  could  not  reply,  his  heart  being  too  full 
of  speechless,  sacred  emotion.  Indeed,  some- 
thing inexpressibly  divine  had  taken  possession 
of  his  whole  being.  Mutely  he  bowed  his  head 
on  the  shoulder  of  his  American  Madonna, 
and  as  it  rested  there  she  felt  warm  tears 
trickle  down — down — into  her  bosom. 

Inevitably  there  followed  Love's  holy,  cre- 
ative kiss. 


A  sequel  to  "  An  American  Madonna  "  is  in  course  of 
preparation. — M.  I.  T. 


